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1918 


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NADA  THE  LILY 


WORKS  BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD 


PARLIAMENTARY  BLUE-BOOK. 

Report  to  H.M.’s  Government  on  the  Salvation 
Army  Colonies  in  the  United  States,  with  Scheme 
of  National  Land  Settlement.  [Cd.  2562] 

POLITICAL  HISTORY. 

Cetewayo  and  his  White  Neighbours. 


WORKS  ON  SOCIOLOGY,  AGRICULTURE, 
AND  COUNTRY  LIFE. 


Rural  England  (2  vols.). 
Rural  Denmark  and  its 
Lessons. 

A  Garden 


The  Poor  and  the  Land. 
Regeneration. 

A  Farmer’s  Year, 
er’s  Year. 


“  Mr  Rider  Haggard  is  probably  most  widely  known  as  a 
novelist,  but ,  as  a  matter  of  fact ,  there  are  few  men  now  writ¬ 
ing  English  whose  books  on  vital  sociological  questions  are  of 
such  vaiue  as  his,  and  hardly  one  among  tins  small  number 
who  has  grasped  as  he  has  grasped  the  dangers  that  beset  the 
future  of  the  English- speaking  people ,  and  the  way  these  dan¬ 
gers  can  best  be  met  ."-—Mr.  Theodore  Roosevelt  in  “  The  Out¬ 
look,"  New  York,  July  /,  iqi  /. 

BOOK  OF  TRAVEL. 

A  Winter  Pilgrimage. 


-LN  \J  V  Hi  1^0. 


Dawn. 

The  Witch’s  Head. 
Jess. 

Colonel  Quaritch, 
The 


V.C. 

Way 


of 


Beatrice. 

Joan  Haste. 
Doctor  Therne. 
Stella  Fregelius. 
the  Spirit. 


ROMANCES 


King  Solomon’s  Mines. 

She. 

Ayesha:  The  Return  of  She. 
Allan  Quatermain. 

Mr.  Meeson’s  Will. 
Allan’s  Wife. 

Cleopatra. 

Eric  Brighteyes. 

Nada  the  Lily. 
Montezuma’s  Daughter. 
The  People  of  the  Mist. 
Heart  of  the  World. 
Swallow. 

Marie. 

The  Mahatma  and  the 
Hare. 

Allan  and  The  Holy 
Flower. 

(In  Collaboration  \ 


Black  Heart  and  White 
Heart. 

Lysbe'i  h. 

Pearl-Maiden. 

The  Brethren. 

The  Spirit  of  Bambatse 
(Benita). 

Margaret. 

The  Ghost  Kings. 

The  Yellow  God:  An  Idol 
of  Africa. 

Mor  ning  Star. 

The  Lady  of  Blossholme. 
ueen  Sheba’s  Ring, 
ed  Eve. 

Child  of  Storm. 

The  Wanderer  s  Necklace. 
The  Ivory  Child. 

7/  Andrew  Lang) 


The  World’s  Desire. 


Nada  the  Lily 


BY 

H.  RIDER  HAGGARD 

AUTHOR  OF  “KING  SOLOMON’S  MINES,’'  “SHE,” 
“ALLAN  QUATERMAIN,”  ETC.,  ETC. 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  AND  CO. 

Fourth  Avenue  &  30th  Street,  New  York 

LONDON,  BOMBAY  AND  CALCUTTA 


Copyright,  1891 
BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD 


First  Edition,  April,  1892 

Reprinted  May,  1892,  November,  1893,  March,  1896, 
December,  1902,  March,  1908 
May  1913 
January  1918 


DEDICATION. 


Sompseu  : 

k  o)  1  will  call  you  by  the  name  that  fov  fifty  years 
has  been  honoured  by  every  tribe  between  the  Zambesi  and 
Cape  Agulhas , — I  greet  you! 

Sompseu ,  my  father,  I  have  written  a  book  that  tells 
of  men  and  matters  of  which  you  know  the  most  of  any 
vdto  still  look  upon  the  light /  therefore,  Z  set  your  name 
within  that  book  and,  such  as  it  is,  I  offer  it  to  you. 

If  V°fi  knew  not  Chaka,  you  and  he  have  seen  the  same 
suns  shine ,  you  kneiv  his  brother  Panda  and  his  captains, 
and  perhaps  even  that  very  Mopo  who  tells  this  tale,  his 
servant,  who  slew  him  with  the  Princes.  You  have  seen 
the  circle  of  the  witch-doctors  and  the  unconquerable  Zulu 
impis  rushing  to  war  ;  you  have  crowned  their  kings  and 
shared  their  councils,  and  with  your  son's  blood  you  have 
expiated  a  statesman' s  error  and  a  general' s  fault. 

Sompseu,  a  song  has  been  sung  in  my  ears  of  how  first 
you  mastered  this  people  of  the  Zulu.  Is  it  not  true,  my 
father,  that  for  long  hours  you  sat  silent  and  alone,  while 
three  thousand  warriors  shouted  for  your  life?  And 
when  they  grew  weary,  did  you  not  stand  and  say ,  point¬ 
ing  towards  the  ocean :  “ Kill  me  if  you  wish,  men  of 
Cetywayo,  but  I  tell  you  that  for  every  drop  of  my  blood 
a  hundred  avengers  shall  rise  from  yonder  sea!"  And 
bo  then,  so  it  ivas  told  me,  the  regiments  turned  staring 
towards  the  Black  Water,  as  though  the  day  of  Ulundi 
had  already  come  and  they  saiv  the  white  slayers  creeping 
across  the  plains. 

Thus,  Sompseu,  your  name  became  great  among  the 
people  of  the  Zulu,  as  already  it  was  great  among  many 


Vi  DEDICATION 

another  tribe ,  and  their  nobles  did  you  homage ,  and  they 
gave  you  the  Bay^te,  the  royal  salute ,  declaring  by  the 
mouth  of  their  Council  that  in  you  dwelt  the  spirit  of 
ChaJca. 

Many  years  have  gone  by  since  then,  and  now  you  are 
old,  my  father.  It  is  many  years  even  since  I  was  a  boy, 
and  followed  you  when  you  went  up  among  the  Boers  and 
took  their  country  for  the  Queen. 

Why  did  you  do  this,  my  father  ?  I  will  answer,  ivho 
know  the  truth.  You  did  it  because ,  had  it  not  been  done, 
the  Zulus  ivould  have  stamped  out  the  Boers.  Were  not 
Cetywayos  impis  gathered  against  the  land,  and  was  it 
not  because  it  became  the  Queen’s  land  that  at  your  word 
he  sent  them  murmuring  to  their  kraals  ? 1  To  save  blood¬ 
shed  you  annexed  the  country  beyond  the  Vaal.  Perhaps 
it  had  been  better  to  leave  it,  since  u  Death  chooses  for 
himself f  and  after  all  there  ivas  killing — of  our  own  peo¬ 
ple,  and  with  the  killing,  shame.  But  in  those  days  ive 
did  not  guess  what  we  should  live  to  see,  and  of  Majuba 
we  thought  only  as  a  little  hill! 

Bnemies  have  borne  false  witness  against  you  on  this 
matter,  Sompseu,  you  ivho  never  erred  except  through  over 
kindness.  Yet  what  does  that  avail ?  When  you  have 
“ gone  beyond  ”  it  ivill  be  forgotten,  since  the  sting  of 
ingratitude  passes  and  lies  must  ivither  like  the  winter 
veldt.  Only  your  name  will  not  be  forgotten  ;  as  it  ivas 
heard  in  life  so  it  shall  be  heard  in  story,  and  I  pray  that, 
however  humbly,  mine  may  pass  doivn  ivith  it.  Chance 
has  taken  me  by  another  path,  and  I  must  leave  the  ways 
of  action  that  I  love  and  bury  myself  in  books,  but  the  old 
days  and  f  riends  are  in  my  mind,  nor  while  I  have  memory 
shall  I  forget  them  and  you. 

Therefore ,  though  it  be  for  the  last  time,  from  far  across 
the  water  I  speak  to  you,  and  lifting  my  hand  I  give  you 
your  “  Sibonga  ”  2  and  that  royal  salute,  to  ivhich ,  noiv 

1  “  I  thank  my  father  Sompseu  for  his  message.  I  am  glad  that  he  has 
sent  it,  because  the  Dutch  have  tired  me  out,  and  I  intended  to  fight  them 
once  and  once  only,  and  to  drive  them  over  the  Vaal.  Kabana,  you  see 
my  impis  are  gathered.  It  was  to  fight  the  Dutch  I  called  them  together ; 
now  I  send  them  back  to  their  homes.” — Message  from  Cetywayo  to 
biR  T.  Shepstone,  April,  1877. 

2  Titles  of  praise. 


DEDICATION 


vu 


that  its  kings  are  gone  and  the  “  People  of  Heaven  ”  are 
no  more  a  nation ,  with  Her  Majesty  you  are  alone 
entitled : — 

Bayete!  Baba ,  Nkosi  ya  makosi! 

Ngonyama  !  Indhlovu  ai  pendulwa  ! 

Wen ’  o  wa  vela  wasi  pata  ! 

Wen ’  o  wa  hluV  izizwe  zonke  za  pativa  nguive  ! 

Wa  geina  nge  la  Mabun ’  o  iva  ba  hluV  u  yedwa  ! 
ZJmsizi  iv e  zintandane  e  zihlupekayo  ! 

Si  ya  kuleka  Baba  ! 

Bayete ,  T'Sompseu I1 

and  fareivell! 

H.  RIDER  HAGGARD 


To  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone,  K.C.M.G. 
Natal,  13  September,  1891. 


1  Bayete,  Father,  Chief  of  Chiefs  ! 

Lion  !  Elephant  that  is  not  turned  ! 

You  who  nursed  us  from  of  old  ! 

You  who  overshadowed  all  peoples  and  took  charge  of  them, 
And  ended  by  mastering  the  Boers  with  your  single  strength  ! 
Help  of  the  fatherless  when  in  trouble  ! 

Salutation  to  you,  Father  1 
Bayete ,  O  Sompseu  ! 


PREFACE. 


- K>« - 

The  writer  of  this  romance  has  been  encouraged  in  his 
task  by  a  purpose  somewhat  beyond  that  of  the  setting  out 
of  a  wild  tale  of  savage  life.  When  he  was  yet  a  lad,  — 
now  some  seventeen  years  ago,  —  fortune  took  him  to  South 
Africa.  There  he  was  thrown  in  with  men  who,  for  thirty 
or  fo^ty  years,  had  been  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
Zulu  people,  with  their  history,  their  heroes,  and  their 
customs.  From  these  he  heard  many  tales  and  traditions, 
some  of  which,  perhaps,  are  rarely  told  nowadays,  and  in 
time  to  come  may  cease  to  be  told  altogether.  Then  the 
Zulus  were  still  a  nation ;  now  that  nation  has  been  de¬ 
stroyed,  and  the  aim  of  its  white  rulers  is  to  root  out  the 
warlike  spirit  for  which  it  was  remarkable,  and  to  replace 
it  by  a  spirit  of  peaceful  progress.  The  Zulu  military 
organization,  perhaps  the  most  wonderful  in  its  way  that 
the  world  has  seen,  is  already  a  thing  of  the  past ;  it  per¬ 
ished  at  Ulundi.  It  was  Chaka  who  invented  that  organi¬ 
zation,  building  it  up  from  the  smallest  beginnings.  When 
he  appeared  at  the  commencement  of  this  century,  it  was 
as  the  ruler  of  a  single  small  tribe ;  when  he  fell,  in  the 
year  1828,  beneath  the  assegais  of  his  brothers,  Umhlangana 
and  Dingaan,  and  of  his  servant,  Mopo  or  Umbopo,  as  he  is 
also  called,  all  south-eastern  Africa  was  at  his  feet,  and  it 
is  said  that  in  his  march  to  power  he  had  slaughtered  more 
than  a  million  human  beings.1  An  attempt  has  been  made 

1  At  the  commencement  of  the  present  century  the  population  of  south¬ 
eastern  Africa  was,  comparatively  speaking,  dense.  Chaka  thinned  it. — 
Author. 


IX 


X 


PREFA  CE. 


in  these  pages  to  set  out  the  true  character  of  this  colossal 
genius  and  most  evil  man, — a  Napoleon  and  a  Tiberius  in 
one,  —  and  also  that  of  his  brother  and  successor,  Dingaan, 
so  no  more  need  be  said  of  them  here.  The  author’s  aim, 
moreover,  has  been  to  convey,  in  a  narrative  form,  some 
idea  of  the  remarkable  spirit  which  animated  these  kings 
and  their  subjects,  and  to  make  accessible,  in  a  popular 
shape,  incidents  of  African  history  'which  are  now,  for  the 
most  part,  only  to  be  found  in  a  few  scarce  works  of  refer¬ 
ence,  rarely  consulted,  except  by  students. 

It  is  obvious  that  such  a  task  has  presented  difficulties, 
since  he  who  undertakes  it  must  for  a  time  forget  his  civili¬ 
zation,  and  think  with  the  mind,  and  speak  with  the  voice 
of  a  Zulu  of  the  Old  regime.  All  the  horrors  perpetrated  by 
the  Zulu  tryants  cannot  be  published  in  this  polite  age  of 
melanite  and  torpedoes ;  their  details  therefore  have  been 
suppressed.  Still  much  remains,  and  those  who  think  it 
wrong  that  massacre  and  fighting  should  be  written  of,  — - 
except  by  special  correspondents,  —  or  that  the  sufferings 
of  mankind  beneath  one  of  the  world’s  most  cruel  tyrannies 
should  form  the  groundwork  of  romance,  may  be  invited  to 
leave  this  book  unread. 

Most,  indeed  nearly  all,  of  the  historical  incidents  here 
recorded  are  true  in  substance.  Thus  it  is  said  that  Chaka 
did  kill  his  mother,  Unandi,  for  the  reason  given,  and  de¬ 
stroy  an  entire  tribe  in  the  Tatiyana  cleft,  and  that  he 
prophesied  of  the  coming  of  the  white  man  after  receiving 
his  death  wounds.  Of  the  incident  of  the  Missionary  and 
the  furnace  of  logs,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  so  certainly. 
It  came  to  the  writer  from  the  lips  of  an  old  traveller  in 
‘  the  Zulu  ’ ;  but  he  cannot  discover  any  confirmation  of  it. 
Still,  these  kings  undoubtedly  put  their  soldiers  to  many 
tests  of  equal  severity.  Umbopo,  or  Mopo,  as  he  is  named 
in  this  tale,  actually  lived.  After  he  had  stabbed  Chaka, 
he  rose  to  great  eminence.  Then  he  disappears  from  the 
scene,  but  it  is  not  accurately  known  whether  he  also  went 
“  the  way  of  the  assegai,”  or  perhaps,  as  is  here  suggested, 
came  to  live  near  Stanger  under  the  name  of  Zweete. 
The  fate  of  the  two  lovers  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave  is  a 


PREFACE . 


xi 


true  Zulu  tale,  which  has  been  considerably  varied  to  suit 
the  purposes  of  this  romance.  The  late  Mr.  Leslie,  who 
died  in  1874,  tells  it  in  his  posthumous  and  privately 
printed  book  “  Among  the  Zulus  and  Amatongas.”  “  I 
heard  a  story  the  other  day,”  he  says,  “  which,  if  the 
power  of  writing  fiction  were  possessed  by  me,  I  might  have 
worked  up  into  a  first-class  sensational  novel.”  It  is  the 
story  that  has  been  woven  into  the  plot  of  this  book.  To 
him  also  the  writer  is  indebted  for  the  artifice  by  which 
Umslopogaas  obtained  admission  to  the  Swazi  stronghold  j 
it  was  told  to  Mr.  Leslie  by  the  Zulu  who  performed  the 
feat  and  thereby  won  a  wife.  Also  the  writer’s  thanks  are 
due  to  his  friends  Mr.  F.  B.  Fynney,1  formerly  Zulu  border 
agent,  for  much  information  given  to  him  in  bygone  years 
by  word  of  mouth,  and  more  recently  through  his  pam¬ 
phlet  “  Zululand  and  the  Zulus,”  and  Mr.  J ohn  Bird,  lately 
treasurer  to  the  Government  of  Natal,  whose  compilation, 
“  The  Annals  of  Natal,”  is  invaluable  to  all  who  would 
study  the  early  history  of  that  colony  and  of  Zululand. 

As  for  the  wilder  and  more  romantic  incidents  of  this 
story,  such  as  the  hunting  of  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  with 
the  wolves,  or  rather  with  the  hyaenas,  — for  there  are  no  true 
wolves  in  Zululand,  —  the  author  can  only  say  that  they  seem 
to  him  of  a  sort  that  might  well  have  been  mythically  con¬ 
nected  with  the  names  of  those  heroes.  Similar  beliefs  and 
traditions  are  common  in  the  records  of  primitive  peoples,  as 
in  the  Volsunga  Saga.  The  club  “  Watcher  of  the  Fords,” 
or,  to  give  its  Zulu  name,  U-nothlola-mazibuko,  is  an  histor¬ 
ical  weapon,  chronicled  by  Bishop  Callaway.  It  was  once 
owned  by  a  certain  Undhlebekazizwa.  He  Avas  an  arbitiaiy 
person,  for  “  no  matter  what  was  discussed  in  our  village,  he 
would  bring  it  to  a  conclusion  Avith  a  stick.”  But  he  made  a 
good  end  ;  for  Avhen  the  Zulu  soldiers  attacked  him,  he  killed 
no  less  than  tAventy  of  them  Avith  the  Watcher,  and  the  spears 
stuck  in  him  “as  thick  as  reeds  in  the  morass.”  This  man’s 
strength  Avas  so  great  that  he  could  kill  a  leopard  “like  a 
fly,”  with  his  hands  only,  much  as  Umslopogaas  sleAV  the 
traitor  in  this  story. 

l 1  grieve  to  state  that  I  must  now  say  “  the  late  Mr.  F .  B.  Fynney.” 


Xil 


PREFACE. 


Perhaps  it  may  be  allowable  to  add  a  few  words  about  the 
Zulu  mysticism,  magic,  and  superstition,  to  which  there  is 
some  allusion  in  this  romance.  It  has  been  little  if  at  all 
exaggerated.  Thus  the  writer  well  remembers  hearing  a 
legend  that  told  how  the  Guardian  Spirit  of  the  Ama-Zulu 
was  seen  riding  down  the  storm.  This  is  what  Mr.  Fynney 
says  of  her  in  the  pamphlet  to  which  reference  has  been 
made  :  “The  natives  have  a  spirit  which  they  call  Nomkubul- 
wana,  or  the  Inkosazana-ye-Zulu  (the  Princess  of  Heaven). 
She  is  said  to  be  robed  in  white,  and  to  take  the  form  of  a 
young  maiden,  in  fact  an  angel.  She  is  said  to  appear  to 
some  chosen  person,  to  whom  she  imparts  some  revelation ; 
but,  whatever  that  revelation  may  be,  it  is  kept  a  profound 
secret  from  outsiders.  I  remember  that,  just  before  the 
Zulu  war,  Nomkubulwana  appeared,  revealing  something  or 
other  which  had  a  great  effect  throughout  the  land,  and 
I  know  that  the  Zulus  were  quite  impressed  that  some 
calamity  was  about  to  befall  them.  One  of  the  ominous 
signs  was  that  fire  is  said  to  have  descended  from  heaven, 
and  ignited  the  grass  over  the  graves  of  the  former  kings 
of  Zululand.  .  .  .  On  another  occasion  ISTomkubulwana 
appeared  to  some  one  in  Zululand,  the  result  of  that  visit 
being,  that  the  native  women  buried  their  young  children 
up  to  their  heads  in  sand,  deserting  them  for  the  time  being, 
going  away  weeping,  but  returning  at  nightfall  to  unearth 
the  little  ones  again.” 

For  this  divine  personage,  therefore,  there  is  authority, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  most  of  the  supernatural  mat¬ 
ters  spoken  of  in  these  pages.  The  exact  spiritual  position 
held  in  the  Zulu  mind  by  the  Umkulunkulu, — the  Old  — 
Old,  —  the  Great  —  Great,  —  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  —  is  a 
more  vexed  question,  and  for  its  proper  consideration  the 
reader  must  be  referred  to  Bishop  Callaway’s  work,  “  The 
Religious  System  of  the  Amazulu.”  Briefly,  Umkulun- 
kulu’s  character  seems  to  vary  from  the  idea  of  an  ancestral 
snirit,  or  the  spirit  of  an  ancestor,  to  that  of  a  god.  In  the 
case  of  an  able  and  highly  intelligent  person  like  the  Mopo 
of  this  story,  the  ideal  probably  would  not  be  a  low  one; 


PREFACE. 


xiii 


therefore  he  is  made  to  speak  of  Umkulunkulu  as  the  Great 
Spirit,  or  God. 

It  only  remains  for  the  writer  to  express  his  regret  that 
this  tale  is  not  more  varied  in  its  hue.  It  would  have 
been  desirable  to  introduce  some  gayer  and  more  happy 
incidents.  But  this  has  not  been  possible.  It  is  believed 
that  the  picture  given  of  the  times  is  a  faithful  one,  though 
it  may  be  open  to  correction  in  some  of  its  details.  At  the 
least,  the  aged  man  who  tells  the  story  of  his  wrongs  and 
vengeance  could  not  be  expected  to  treat  his  subject  in  an 
optimistic  or  even  in  a  cheerful  vein. 


CONTENTS 


i. 

m. 

hi. 

IV. 

Y. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 
IX. 


XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 
XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 


Dedication . 

Preface  ......... 

Introduction  .  . 

The  Boy  Chaka  Prophesies  .  . 

Mopo  is  in  Trouble . 

MOPO  VENTURES  HOME  ....... 

The  Flight  of  Mopo  and  Baleka  .  .  .  . 
Mopo  becomes  the  King’s  Doctor  .  .  .  . 

The  Birth  of  Umslopogaas . 

Umsl&pogaas  answers  the  King  . 

The  Great  Ingomboco . 

The  Loss  of  Umslopogaas . 

The  Trial  of  Mopo . 

The  Counsel  of  Baleka  ...... 

The  Tale  of  Galazi  the  Wolf  .  .  .  . 

Galazi  becomes  King  of  the  Wolves 

The  Wolf-Brethren  . . 

The  Death  of  the  King’s  Slayers  . 

Umslopogaas  ventures  out  to  win  the  Axe  . 
Umslopogaas  becomes  Chief  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe  .  .  *  . 

The  Curse  of  Baleka  . . 

Masilo  comes  to  the  Kraal  Duguza 

Mopo  bargains  with  the  Princes  .  .  .  . 

The  Death  of  Chaka  ...... 

Mopo  goes  to  seek  the  Slaughterer 

Mopo  reveals  himself  to  the  Slaughterer  .  . 


PAGE 

V 

ix 

1 

5 

11 

17 

22 

32 

37 

40 

53 

64 

72 

83 

91 

101 

112 

119 

125 

132 

140 

152 

160 

168 

177 

185 


xv 


CONTENTS. 


xvi 


XXIY. 

The 

Slating  of  the  Boers 

• 

• 

PAGE 

195 

XXV. 

The 

War  with  the  IIalakazi 

People 

• 

205 

XXVI. 

The 

Finding  of  Nada 

• 

215 

XXVII. 

The 

Stamping  of  the  Fire 

• 

223 

XXVIII. 

The 

Lily  is  brought  to  Dingaan 

• 

231 

XXIX. 

Mopo  tells  his  Tale 

• 

238 

XXX. 

The 

Coming  of  Nada 

• 

246 

XXXI. 

The 

War  of  the  Women 

• 

253 

XXXII. 

ZlNITA  COMES  TO  THE  KlNG 

♦ 

263 

XXXIII. 

The 

End  of  the  People,  Black  and  Grey 

• 

270 

XXXIV. 

The 

Lily’s  Farewell 

• 

• 

• 

282 

XXXV. 

The 

Vengeance  of  Mopo  and 

his 

Fosterling 

287 

XXXVI. 

Mopo  ends  his  Tale 

• 

• 

• 

• 

292 

♦ 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


jTiien  the  old  man  told  him  the  tale  that  is  set  out 
here  ’ . 

5  Wtfe  of  a  dog  of  a  Zulu  .  .  begone  !  ’ 

‘  Baleka  looked  up,  and  gave  a  cry  of  fear  ’ 

‘I  DID  UP  THE  BUNDLE  FAST — FAST’ . 

‘  I  SMELL  OUT  THE  HEAVENS  ABOVE  ME  ’ 

‘  And  so  farewell  ’ 

*  •  *  •  • 

‘  I  SWEAR  IT  0  KING  !  I  SWEAR  IT  BY  THY  HEAD  ’ 

‘  He  ran  in  upon  her  and  smote  her  on  the  head  ’ 

‘  Now  I  KNEW  THAT  I  HAD  NO  MORE  TO  FEAR,  FOR  I  WAS 
KING  OF  THE  GHOST-WOLVES  ’ . 

‘HE  LIFTED  THE  SPEAR  .  .  AND  DROVE  IT  DOWN  BE¬ 
TWEEN  THE  SHOULDERS ’  . 

‘  The  ghost-wolves  are  at  hand,  damsel  ’ 

‘A  RUSH.  A  LIGHT  OF  DOWNWARD  FALLING  STEEL’ 

‘  O  PEOPLE  OF  THE  IjANGENI  TRIBE  .  .  I  AM  AVENGED 

UPON  YOU ’  . 

‘  I  GAVE  IT  TO  BOTH  OF  YOU  O  TWIN  STARS  OF  THE  MORN¬ 
ING  .  .  IN  THE  DREAM  OF  ClIAKA  I  GAVE  IT  TO  BOTH 

OF  YOU’  . 

‘  I  SHOOK  MY  WITHERED  HAND  BEFORE  HIM  ’ 

‘  O,  MY  FATHER,  I  THOUGHT  YOU  DEAD  ’ 

‘  They  smite  upwards  .  .  but  he  has  swept  over 


PAGE 

4 

8 

25 

45 

62 

72 

82 

91 

111 

117 

126 

135 

153 

166 

172 

192 


THEM  LIKE  A  SWOOPING  BIRD  ’ 


210 


xviii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


PAGE 

‘HOW  ARE  YOU  NAMED  WHO  ARE  SO  FAIR?’  .  .  .217 

‘  Take  thy  servant,  king  ;  surely  “  he  sleeps  in  thy 

SHADOW  ”  * . 234 

‘Galazi  sat  on  the  lap  of  the  Stone  Witch  .  .  Giiey- 

snout  WHINED  AT  HIS  SIDE  ’ . 2G7 

‘  I  HAVE  MADE  ME  A  MAT  OF  MEN  TO  SLEEP  ON  .  .  Vic¬ 
tory !  Victory /’ . .281 

‘Then  it  quivered  and  was  still  for  ever’  .  .  .  287 
‘  That  was  the  end  of  Dingaan,  my  father  ’  .  .  .  293 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


*0* 


INTRODUCTION. 

Some  years  since — it  was  during  the  winter  before  the 
Zulu  War — a  White  Man  was  travelling  through  Natal. 
His  name  does  not  matter,  for  he  plays  no  part  in  this 
story.  With  him  were  two  wagons  laden  with  goods,  which 
he  was  transporting  to  Pretoria.  The  weather  was  cold  and 
there  was  little  or  no  grass  for  the  oxen,  which  made  the 
journey  difficult ;  but  he  had  been  tempted  to  it  by  the  high 
rates  of  transport  that  prevailed  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
which  would  remunerate  him  for  any  probable  loss  he  might 
suffer  in  cattle.  So  he  pushed  along  on  his  journey,  and  all 
went  well  until  he  had  passed  the  little  town  of  Stanger, 
once  the  site  of  Duguza,  the  kraal  of  Chaka,  the  first  Zulu 
king  and  the  uncle  of  Cetywayo.  The  night  after  he  left 
Stanger  the  air  turned  bitterly  cold,  heavy  grey  clouds  filled 
the  sky,  and  hid  the  light  of  the  stars. 

“Now  if  I  were  not  in  Natal,  I  should  say  that  there 
was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  coming/’  said  the  White  Man 
to  himself.  “  I  have  often  seen  the  sky  look  like  that  in 
Scotland  before  snow.”  Then  he  reflected  that  there  had 
been  no  deep  snow  in  Natal  for  years,  and,  having  drunk  a 
“tot”  of  squareface  and  smoked  his  pipe,  he  went  to  bed 
beneath  the  after-tent  of  his  larger  wagon. 

During  the  night  he  was  awakened  by  a  sense  of  bitter 
cold  and  the  low  moaning  of  the  oxen  that  were  tied  to  the 
trek-tow,  every  ox  in  its  place.  He  thrust  his  head  through 
the  curtain  of  the  tent  and  looked  out.  The  earth  was 
white  with  snow,  and  the  air  was  full  of  it,  swept  along  by 
a  cutting  wind. 

B 


2 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  he  sprang  up,  huddling  on  his  clothes  and  as  he 
did  so  calling  to  the  Kaffirs  who  slept  beneath  the  wagons. 
Presently  they  awoke  from  the  stupor  which  already  was 
beginning  to  overcome  them,  and  crept  out,  shivering  with 
cold  and  wrapped  from  head  to  foot  in  blankets. 

“ Quick!  you  boys,”  he  said  to  them  in  Zulu;  “ quick! 
Would  you  See  the  cattle  die  of  the  snow  and  wind  ?  Loose 
the  oxen  from  the  trek-tows  and  drive  them  in  between  the 
wagons ;  they  will  give  them  some  shelter.”  And  lighting 
a  lantern  he  sprang  out  into  the  snow. 

At  last  it  was  done— no  easy  task,  for  the  numbed  hands 
of  the  Kaffirs  could  scarcely  loosen  the  frozen  reims.  The 
wagons  were  outspanned  side  by  side  with  a  space  between 
them,  and  into  this  space  the  mob  of  thirty-six  oxen  was 
driven  and  there  secured  by  reims  tied  crosswise  from  the 
front  and  hind  wheels  of  the  wagons.  Then  the  White 
Man  crept  back  to  his  bed,  and  the  shivering  natives,  forti¬ 
fied  with  gin,  or  squareface,  as  it  is  called  locally,  took 

refuge  on  the  second  wagon,  drawing  a  tent-sail  over 
them. 

For  awhile  there  was  silence,  save  for  the  moanings  of 
the  huddled  and  restless  cattle. 

“  ^  the  snow  goes  on  I  shall  lose  my  oxen,”  he  said  to 
himself ;  “  they  can  never  bear  this  cold.” 

Hardly  had  the  words  passed  his  lips  when  the  wagon 
shook ;  there  was  a  sound  of  breaking  reims  and  tram- 
pling  hoofs.  Once  more  he  looked  out.  The  oxen  had 

skiecked  in  a  mob.  There  they  were,  running  away 
into  the  night  and  the  snow,  seeking  to  find  shelter  from 
the  cold.  In  a  minute  they  had  vanished  utterly.  There 
w as  nothing  to  be  done,  except  wait  for  the  morning. 

At  last  it  came,  revealing  a  landscape  blind  with  snow. 
Such  search  as  could  be  made  told  them  nothing.  The  oxen 
had  gone,  and  their  spoor  was  obliterated  by  the  fresh-fallen 
flakes.  The  White  Man  called  a  council  of  his  Kaffir  ser¬ 
vants.  “  What  was  to  be  done  ?  ”  he  asked. 

One  said  this  thing,  one  that,  but  all  agreed  that  they 
must  wait  to  act  until  the  snow  melted. 

“  Or  till  we  freeze,  you  whose  mothers  were  fools  !  ”  said 


INTRODUCTION ’ 


3 


the  White  Man,  who  was  in  the  worst  of  tempers,  for  had  he 
not  lost  four  hundred  pounds’  worth  of  oxen  ? 

Then  a  Zulu  spoke,  who  hitherto  had  remained  silent. 
He  was  the  driver  of  the  first  wagon. 

“  My  father,”  he  said  to  the  White  Man,  “  this  is  my  word. 
The  oxen  are  lost  in  the  snow.  No  man  knows  whither  they 
have  gone,  or  whether  they  live  or  are  now  but  hides  and 
bones.  Yet  at  the  kraal  yonder,”  and  he  pointed  to  some 
huts  about  two  miles  away  on  the  hillside,  “  lives  a  witch 
doctor  named  Zweete.  He  is  old— very  old— but  he  has 
wisdom,  and  he  can  tell  you  where  the  oxen  are  if  any  man 
may,  my  father.” 

u  Stuff !  ”  answered  the  White  Man.  “  Still,  as  the  kraal 
cannot  be  colder  than  this  wagon,  we  will  go  and  ask 
Zweete.  Bring  a  bottle  of  squareface  and  some  snuff  with 
you  for  presents.” 

An  hour  later  he  stood  in  the  hut  of  Zweete.  Before  him 
was  a  very  ancient  man,  a  mere  bag  of  bones,  with  sightless 
eyes,  and  one  hand — his  left — white  and  shrivelled. 

“What  do  you  seek  of  Zweete,  my  white  father?”  asked 
the  old  man  in  a  thin  voice.  “You  do  not  believe  in  me  and 
my  wisdom ;  why  should  I  help  you  ?  Yet  I  will  do  it, 
though  it  is  against  your  law,  and  you  do  wrong  to  ask  me, 
— yes,  to  show  you  that  there  is  truth  in  us  Zulu  doctors,  I 
will  help  you.  My  father,  I  know  what  you  seek.  You 
seek  to  know  where  your  oxen  have  run  for  shelter  from 
the  cold  !  Is  it  not  so  ?  ” 

“It  is  so,  Doctor,”  answered  the  White  Man.  “You 
have  long  ears.” 

“Yes,  my  white  father,  I  have  long  ears,  though  they  say 
that  I  grow  deaf.  I  have  keen  eyes  also,  and  yet  I  cannot 
see  your  face.  Let  me  hearken  !  Let  me  look  !  ” 

For  awhile  he  sat  silent,  rocking  himself  to  and  fro,  then 
he  spoke  :  “You  have  a  farm,  White  Man,  down  near  Pine 
Town,  is  it  not  ?  Ah  !  I  thought  so — and  an  hour’s  ride 
from  your  farm  lives  a  Boer  with  four  fingers  only  on  his 
right  hand.  There  is  a  kloof  on  the  Boer’s  farm  where 
mimosa-trees  grow.  There,  in  the  kloof,  you  shall  find  your 

b  2 


4 


NADA  THE  LILY 


oxen — yes,  five  days’  journey  from  here  you  shall  find  them 
all.  I  say  all,  my  father,  except  three  only — the  big  black 
Africander  ox,  the  little  red  Zulu  ox  with  one  horn,  and  the 
speckled  ox.  You  shall  not  find  these,  for  they  have  died 
in  the  snow.  Send,  and  you  will  find  the  others.  No,  no  ! 
I  ask  no  fee !  I  do  not  work  wonders  for  reward.  Why 
should  I  ?  I  am  rich.”. 

Now  the  White  Man  scoffed.  But  in  the  end,  so  great  is 
the  power  of  superstition,  he  sent.  And  here  it  may  be 
stated  that  on  the  eleventh  day  of  his  sojourn  at  the  kraal 
of  Zweete,  those  whom  he  sent  returned  with  the  oxen, 
except  the  three  only.  After  that  he  scoffed  no  more. 
Those  eleven  days  he  spent  in  a  hut  of  the  old  man’s  kraal, 
and  every  afternoon  he  came  and  talked  with  him,  sitting 
far  into  the  night. 

On  the  third  day  he  asked  Zweete  how  it  was  that  his 
left  hand  was  white  and  shrivelled,  and  who  were  Umslo- 
pogaas  and  Nada,  of  whom  he  had  let  fall  some  words. 
Then  the  old  man  told  him  the  tale  that  is  set  out  here. 
Day  by  day  he  told  some  of  it  till  it  was  finished.  It  is 
not  all  written  in  these  pages,  for  portions  may  have  been 
forgotten,  or  put  aside  as  irrelevant.  Neither  has  it  been 
possible  for  the  writer  of  it  to  render  the  full  force  of  the 
Zulu  idiom  nor  to  convey  a  picture  of  the  teller.  Bor,  in 
truth,  he  acted  rather  than  told  his  story.  Was  the  death  of 
a  warrior  in  question,  he  stabbed  with  his  stick,  showing  how 
the  blow  fell  and  where ;  did  the  story  grow  sorrowful,  he 
groaned,  or  even  wept.  Moreover,  he  had  many  voices,  one 
for  each  of  the  actors  in  his  tale.  This  man,  ancient  and 
withered,  seemed  to  live  again  in  the  far  past.  It  was  the 
past  that  spoke  to  his  listener,  telling  of  deeds  long  forgot¬ 
ten,  of  deeds  that  are  no  more  known. 

Yet  as  he  best  may,  the  White  Man  has  set  down  the 
substance  of  the  story  of  Zweete  in  the  spirit  in  which 
Zweete  told  it.  And  because  the  history  of  Nada  the  Lily 
and  of  those  with  whom  her  life  was  intertwined  moved 
him  strangely,  and  in  many  ways,  he  has  done  more,  he 
has  printed  it  that  others  may  judge  of  it. 

And  now  his  part  is  played.  Let  him  who  was  named 
Zweete,  but  who  had  another  name,  take  up  the  story. 


4  Then  the  old  man  told  him  the  tale  that  is  set  out  here.’ 


* 


THE  BOY  CHAKA  PROPHESIES 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  BOY  CHAKA  PROPHESIES. 

You  ask  me,  my  father,  to  tell  yon  the  tale  of  the  youth 
of  Umslopogaas,  holder  of  the  iron  Chief  tailless,  the  axe 
Groanmaker,  who  was  named  Bulalio  the  Slaughterer,  and 
of  his  love  for  Nada,  the  most  beautiful  of  Zulu  women. 
It  is  long ;  but  you  are  here  for  many  nights,  and,  if  I  live 
to  tell  it,  it  shall  be  told.  Strengthen  your  heart,  my 
father,  for  I  have  much  to  say  that  is  sorrowful,  and  even 
now,  when  I  think  of  Rada  the  tears  creep  through  the  horn 
that  shuts  out  my  old  eyes  from  light. 

Do  you  know  who  I  am,  my  father  ?  You  do  not  know. 
You  think  that  I  am  an  old,  old  witch-doctor  named  Zweete. 
So  men  have  thought  for  many  years,  but  that  is  not  my 
name.  Few  have  known  it,  for  I  have  kept  it  locked  in 
my  breast,  lest,  though  I  live  now  under  the  law  of  the 
White  Man,  and  the  Great  Queen  is  my  chieftainess,  an 
assegai  still  might  find  this  heart  did  any  know  my  name. 

Look  at  this  hand,  my  father — no,  not  that  which  is 
withered  with  fire ;  look  on  this  right  hand  of  mine.  You 
see  it,  though  I  who  am  blind  cannot.  Bat  still,  within  me 
I  see  it  as  it  was  once.  Ay !  I  see  it  red  and  strong — red 
with  the  blood  of  two  kings.  Listen,  my  father ;  bend 
your  ear  to  me  and  listen.  I  am  Mopo — ah  !  I  felt  you 
start ;  you  start  as  the  regiment  of  the  Bees  started  when 
Mopo  walked  before  their  ranks,  and  from  the  assegai  in 
his  hand  the  blood  of  Chaka1  dropped  slowly  to  the  earth. 
I  am  Mopo  who  slew  Chaka  the  king.  I  killed  him  with 
Dingaan  and  Umhlangana  the  princes;  but  the  wound  was 
mine  that  his  life  crept  out  of,  and  but  for  me  he  would 
never  have  been  slain.  I  killed  him  with  the  princes,  but 
Dingaan,  I  and  one  other  slew  alone. 

1  The  Zulu  Napoleon,  one  of  the  greatest  geniuses  and  most  wicked  men 
who  ever  lived.  He  was  killed  in  the  year  1828,  having  slaughtered  more 
than  a  million  human  beings. — Ed. 


6 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


What  do  you  say  ?  “  Dingaan  died  by  the  Tongola.” 

Yes,  yes,  he  died,  but  not  there ;  he  died  on  the  Ghost 
Mountain  ;  he  lies  in  the  breast  of  the  old  Stone  Witch  who 
sits  aloft  forever  waiting  for  the  world  to  perish.  But 
I  also  was  on  the  Ghost  Mountain.  In  those  days  my  feet 
still  could  travel  fast,  and  vengeance  would  not  let  me  sleej:*. 
I  travelled  by  day,  and  by  night  I  found  him.  I  and  an¬ 
other,  we  killed  him — ah  !  ah  ! 

Why  do  I  tell  you  this  ?  What  has  it  to  do  with  the 
loves  of  Umslopogaas  and  Nada  the  Lily?  I  will  tell  you. 
I  stabbed  Chaka  for  the  sake  of  my  sister,  Baleka,  the  mother 
of  Umslopogaas,  and  because  he  had  murdered  my  wives  and 
children.  I  and  Umslopogaas  slew  Dingaan  for  the  sake  of 
Nada,  who  was  my  daughter. 

There  are  great  names  in  the  story,  my  father.  Yes, 
many  have  heard  the  names  :  when  the  Impis  roared  them 
out  as  they  charged  in  battle,  I  have  felt  the  mountains 
shake  and  seen  the  waters  quiver  in  their  sound.  But 
where  are  they  now  ?  Silence  has  them,  and  the  white 
men  write  them  down  in  books.  I  opened  the  gates  of  dis¬ 
tance  for  the  holders  of  the  names.  They  passed  through 
and  they  are  gone  beyond.  I  cut  the  strings  that  tied  them 
to  the  world.  They  fell  off.  Ha !  ha !  They  fell  off ! 
Perhaps  they  are  falling  still,  perhaps  they  creep  about  their 
desolate  kraals  in  the  skins  of  snakes.  I  wish  I  knew  the 
snakes  that  I  might  crush  them  with  my  heel.  Yonder, 
beneath  us,  at  the  burying-place  of  kings,  there  is  a  hole. 
In  that  hole  lie  the  bones  of  Chaka,  the  king  who  died 
for  Baleka.  Par  away  in  Zululand  there  is  a  cleft  upon 
the  Ghost  Mountain.  At  the  foot  of  that  cleft  lie  the 
bones  of  Dingaan,  the  king  who  died  for  Nada.  It  was  far 
to  fall  and  he  was  heavy ;  those  bones  of  his  are  broken 
into  little  pieces.  I  went  to  see  them  when  the  vultures 
and  the  jackals  had  done  their  work.  And  then  I  laughed 
three  times  and  came  here  to  die. 

All  this  is  long  ago,  and  I  have  not  died;  though  I 
wish  to  die  and  follow  the  road  that  Nada  trod.  Perhaps 
I  have  lived  to  tell  you  this  tale,  my  father,  that  you  may 
repeat  it  to  the  white  men  if  you  will.  How  old  am  I  ?  Nay, 


THE  BOY  CHAKA  PROPHESIES 


7 


I  do  not  know.  Very,  very  old.  Had  Chaka  lived  he  would 
have  been  as  old  as  I.1  None  are  living  whom  I  knew  when 
I  was  a  boy.  I  am  so  old  that  I  must  hasten.  The  grass 
withers  and  the  winter  comes.  Yes,  while  I  speak  the 
winter  nips  my  heart.  Well,  I  am  ready  to  sleep  in  the 
cold,  and  perhaps  I  shall  wake  again  in  the  spring. 

Before  the  Zulus  were  a  people — for  I  will  begin  at  the 
beginning — I  was  born  of  the  Langeni  tribe.  We  were 
not  a  large  tribe ;  afterwards,  all  our  able-bodied  men  num¬ 
bered  one  full  regiment  in  Ch aka’s  army,  perhaps  there  were 
between  two  and  three  thousand  of  them,  but  they  were 
brave.  Now  they  are  all  dead,  and  their  women  and  chil¬ 
dren  with  them, — that  people  is  no  more.  It  is  gone  like 
last  month’s  moon  ;  how  it  went  I  will  tell  you  by-and-bye. 

Our  tribe  lived  in  a  beautiful  open  country ;  the  Boers, 
whom  we  called  the  Amaboona,  are  there  now,  they  tell  me. 
My  father,  Makedama,  was  chief  of  the  tribe,  and  his  kraal 
was  built  on  the  crest  of  a  hill,  but  I  was  not  the  son  of  his 
head  wife.  One  evening,  when  I  was  still  little,  standing 
as  high  as  a  man’s  elbow  only,  I  went  out  with  my  mother 
below  the  cattle  kraal  to  see  the  cows  driven  in.  My  mother 
was  very  fond  of  these  cows,  and  there  was  one  with  a 
white  face  that  would  follow  her  about.  She  carried  my 
little  sister  Baleka  riding  on  her  hip ;  Baleka  was  a  baby 
then.  We  walked  till  we  met  the  lads  driving  in  the  cows. 
My  mother  called  the  white-faced  cow  and  gave  it  mealie 
leaves  which  she  had  brought  with  her.  Then  the  boys 
went  on  with  the  cattle,  but  the  white-faced  cow  stopped 
by  my  mother.  She  said  that  she  would  bring  it  to  the 
kraal  when  she  came  home.  My  mother  sat  down  on  the 
grass  and  nursed  her  baby,  while  I  played  round  her,  and 
the  cow  grazed.  Presently  we  saw  a  woman  walking  towards 
us  across  the  plain.  She  walked  like  one  who  is  tired.  On 
her  back  was  a  bundle  of  mats,  and  she  led  by  the  hand  a  boy 
of  about  my  own  age,  but  bigger  and  stronger  than  I  was. 

1  This  would  have  made  him  nearly  a  hundred  years  old,  an  age  rarely 
attained  by  a  native.  The  writer  remembers  talking  to  an  aged  Zulu 
woman,  however,  who  told  him  that  she  was  married  when  Chaka  was 

king.— Ed. 


8 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


We  waited  a  long  while,  till  at  last  the  woman  came  up  to 
us  and  sank  down  on  the  veldt,  for  she  was  very  weary. 
We  saw  by  the  way  her  hair  was  dressed  that  she  was  not 
of  our  tribe. 

“  Greeting  to  you  !  ”  said  the  woman. 

“  Good-morrow  !  ”  answered  my  mother.  “  What  do  you 
seek  ?  ” 

“  Food,  and  a  hut  to  sleep  in,”  said  the  woman.  “  I  have 
travelled  far.” 

“  How  are  you  named  ? — and  what  is  your  people  ?  ”  asked 
my  mother. 

“My  name  is  Unandi:  I  am  the  wife  of  Senzangacona, 
of  the  Zulu  tribe,”  said  the  stranger. 

Now  there  had  been  war  between  our  people  and  the 
Zulu  people,  and  Senzangacona  had  killed  some  of  our  war¬ 
riors  and  taken  many  of  our  cattle.  So,  when  my  mother 
heard  the  speech  of  Unandi  she  sprang  up  in  anger. 

“You  dare  to  come  here  and  ask  me  for  food  and  shelter, 
wife  of  a  dog  of  a  Zulu !  ”  she  cried ;  “  begone,  or  I  will 
call  the  girls  to  whip  you  out  of  our  country.” 

The  woman,  who  was  very  handsome,  waited  till  my  mother 
had  finished  her  angry  words ;  then  she  looked  up  and  spoke 
slowly,  “  There  is  a  cow  by  you  with  milk  dropping  from 
its  udder ;  will  you  not  even  give  me  and  my  boy  a  gourd 
of  milk  ?  ”  And  she  took  a  gourd  from  her  bundle  and  held 
it  towards  us. 

“  I  will  not,”  said  my  mother. 

“We  are  thirsty  with  long  travel;  will  you  not,  then, 
give  us  a  cup  of  water?  We  have  found  none  for  many 
hours.” 

“  I  will  not,  wife  of  a  dog ;  go  and  seek  water  for  yourself.” 

The  woman’s  eyes  filled  with  tears,  but  the  boy  folded 
his  arms  on  his  breast  and  scowled.  He  was  a  very  hand¬ 
some  boy,  with  bright  black  eyes,  but  when  he  scowled  his 
eyes  were  like  the  sky  before  a  thunderstorm. 

“Mother,”  he  said,  “we  are  not  wanted  here  any  more 
than  we  were  wanted  yonder,”  and  he  nodded  towards  the 
country  where  the  Zulu  people  lived.  “  Let  us  be  going  to 
Hingis  way  o ;  the  Umtetwa  people  will  protect  us.” 


. 


. 


* 


THE  BOY  CHAKA  PROPHESIES  9 

“Yes,  let  us  be  going,  my  son/’  answered  Unandi ;  “but 
the  path  is  long,  we  are  weary  and  shall  fall  by  the  way.” 

I  heard,  and  something  pulled  at  my  heart ;  I  was  sorry 
for  the  woman  and  the  boy,  they  looked  so  tired.  Then, 
without  saying  anything  to  my  mother,  I  snatched  the 
gourd  and  ran  with  it  to  a  little  donga  that  was  hard  by, 
for  I  knew  that  there  was  a  spring.  Presently  I  came  back 
with  the  gourd  full  of  water.  My  mother  wanted  to  catch 
me,  for  she  was  very  angry,  but  I  ran  past  her  and  gave  the 
gourd  to  the  boy.  Then  my  mother  ceased  trying  to  inter¬ 
fere,  only  she  beat  the  woman  with  her  tongue  all  the  while, 
saying  that  evil  had  come  to  our  kraals  from  her  husband, 
and  she  felt  in  her  heart  that  more  evil  would  come  upon 
us  from  her  son.  Her  Ehlost1  told  her  so.  Ah!  my  father, 
her  Elilose  told  her  true.  If  the  woman  Unandi  and  her 
child  had  died  that  day  on  the  veldt,  the  gardens  of  my 
people  would  not  now  be  a  wilderness,  and  their  bones 
would  not  lie  in  the  great  gulley  that  is  near  U’Cetywayo’s 
kraal. 

While  my  mother  talked  I  and  the  cow  with  the  white 
face  stood  still  and  watched,  and  the  baby  Baleka  cried 
aloud.  The  boy,  Unandi’ s  son,  having  taken  the  gourd, 
did  not  offer  the  water  to  his  mother.  He  drank  two-thirds 
of  it  himself;  I  think  that  he  would  have  drunk  it  all  had 
not  his  thirst  been  slaked ;  but  when  he  had  done  he  gave 
what  was  left  to  his  mother,  and  she  finished  it.  Then  he 
took  the  gourd  again,  and  came  forward,  holding  it  in  one 
hand;  in  the  other  he  carried  a  short  stick. 

“What  is  your  name,  boy  ?  ”  he  said  to  me  as  a  big  rich 
man  speaks  to  one  who  is  little  and  poor. 

“Mopo  is  my  name,”  I  answered. 

«  And  what  is  the  name  of  your  people  ?  ” 

I  told  him  the  name  of  my  tribe,  the  Langeni  tribe. 

“Very  well,  Mopo;  now  I  will  tell  you  my  name.  My 
name  is  Chaka,  son  of  Senzangacona,  and  my  people  are 
called  the  Amazulu.  And  I  will  tell  you  something  more. 
I  am  little  to-day,  and  my  people  are  a  small  people. 
But  I  shall  grow  big,  so  big  that  my  head  will  be  lost  in 

1  Guardian  spirit. — Ed. 


10 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


the  clouds ;  you  will  look  up  and  you  shall  not  see  it.  My 
face  will  blind  you ;  it  will  be  bright  like  the  sun ;  and  my 
people  will  grow  great  with  me ;  they  shall  eat  up  the  whole 
world.  And  when  I  am  big  and  my  people  are  big,  and  we 
have  stamped  the  earth  flat  as  far  as  men  can  travel,  then  I 
will  remember  your  tribe — the  tribe  of  the  Langeni,  who 
would  not  give  me  and  my  mother  a  cup  of  milk  when  we 
were  weary.  You  see  this  gourd;  for  every  drop  it  can 
hold  the  blood  of  a  man  shall  flow — the  blood  of  one  of 
your  men.  But  because  you  gave  me  the  water  I  will  spare 
you,  Mopo,  and  you  only,  and  make  you  great  under  me.  You 
shall  grow  fat  in  my  shadow.  You  alone  I  will  never  harm, 
however  you  sin  against  me ;  this  I  swear.  But  for  that 
woman,”  and  he  pointed  to  my  mother,  “  let  her  make  haste 
and  die,  so  that  I  do  not  need  to  teach  her  what  a  long 
time  death  can  take  to  come.  I  have  spoken.”  And  he 
ground  his  teeth  and  shook  his  stick  towards  us. 

My  mother  stood  silent  awhile.  Then  she  gasped  out : 
“  The  little  liar !  He  speaks  like  a  man,  does  he  ?  The 
calf  lows  like  a  bull.  I  will  teach  him  another  note — the 
brat  of  an  evil  prophet !  ”  And  putting  down  Baleka,  she 
ran  at  the  boy. 

Chaka  stood  quite  still  till  she  was  near ;  then  suddenly 
he  lifted  the  stick  in  his  hand,  and  hit  her  so  hard  on  the 
head  that  she  fell  down.  After  that  he  laughed,  turned, 
and  went  away  with  his  mother  Unandi. 

These,  my  father,  were  the  first  words  that  I  heard  Chaka 
speak,  and  they  were  words  of  prophecy,  and  they  came 
true.  The  last  words  I  heard  him  speak  were  words  of 
prophecy  also,  and  I  think  that  they  will  come  true.  Even 
now  they  are  coming  true.  In  the  one  he  told  how  the 
Zulu  people  should  rise.  And  say,  have  they  not  risen  ? 
In  the  other  he  told  how  they  should  fall ;  and  they  will 
fall.  Do  not  the  white  men  gather  themselves  together 
even  now  against  U’Cetywayo,  as  vultures  gather  round  a 
dying  ox  ?  The  Zulus  are  not  what  they  were  to  stand 
against  them.  Yes,  yes,  they  will  come  true,  and  mine  is 
the  song  of  a  people  that  is  doomed. 

But  of  these  other  words  I  will  speak  in  their  place. 


MOPO  IS  IN  TROUBLE 


II 


I  went  to  my  mother.  Presently  she  raised  herself  from 
the  ground  and  sat  up  with  her  hands  over  her  face.  The 
blood  from  the  wound  the  stick  had  made  ran  down  her 
hands  on  to  her  breast,  and  I  wiped  it  away  with  grass. 
She  sat  for  a  long  while  thus,  while  the  child  cried,  the  cow 
lowed  to  be  milked,  and  I  wiped  up  the  blood  with  the 
grass.  At  last  she  took  her  hands  away  and  spoke  to  me. 

“  Mopo,  my  son,”  she  said,  “  I  have  dreamed  a  dream. 
I  dreamed  that  I  saw  the  boy  Chaka  who  struck  me :  he 
was  grown  like  a  giant.  He  stalked  across  the  mountains 
and  the  veldt,  his  eyes  blazed  like  the  lightning,  and  in  his 
hand  he  shook  a  little  assegai  that  was  red  with  blood. 
He  caught  up  people  after  people  in  his  hands  and  tore 
them,  he  stamped  their  kraals  flat  with  his  feet.  Before 
him  was  the  green  of  summer,  behind  him  the  land  was 
black  as  when  the  fires  have  eaten  the  grass.  I  saw  our 
people,  Mopo  :  they  were  many  and  fat,  their  hearts  laughed, 
the  men  were  brave,  the  girls  were  fair ;  I  counted  their 
children  by  hundreds.  I  saw  them  again,  Mopo.  They 
were  bones,  white  bones,  thousands  of  bones  tumbled  to¬ 
gether  in  a  rocky  place,  and  he,  Chaka,  stood  over  the  bones 
and  laughed  till  the  earth  shook.  Then,  Mopo,  in  my  dream, 
I  saw  you  grown  a  man.  You  alone  were  left  of  our  people. 
You  crept  up  behind  the  giant  Chaka,  and  with  you  came 
others,  great  men  of  a  royal  look.  You  stabbed  him  with 
a  little  spear,  and  he  fell  down  and  grew  small  again ;  he 
fell  down  and  cursed  you.  But  you  cried  in  his  ear  a  name 
— the  name  of  Baleka,  your  sister — and  he  died.  Let  us  go 
home,  Mopo,  let  us  go  home  ;  the  darkness  falls.” 

So  we  rose  and  went  home.  But  I  held  my  peace,  for 
I  was  afraid,  very  much  afraid. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MOPO  IS  IN'  TROUBLE. 

Now,  I  must  tell  how  my  mother  did  what  the  boy 
Chaka  had  told  her,  and  died  quickly.  For  where  his  stick 
had  struck  her  on  the  forehead  there  came  a  sore  that  would 


12 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


not  be  healed,  and  in  the  sore  grew  an  abscess,  and  the 
abscess  ate  inwards  till  it  came  to  the  brain.  Then  my 
mother  fell  down  and  died,  and  I  cried  very  much,  for  I 
loved  her,  and  it  was  dreadful  to  see  her  cold  and  stiff,  with 
not  a  word  to  say  however  loudly  I  called  to  her.  Well, 
they  buried  my  mother,  and  she  was  soon  forgotten.  I 
only  remembered  her,  nobody  else  did — not  even  Baleka, 
for  she  was  too  little — and  as  for  my  father  he  took  another 
young  wife,  and  was  content.  After  that  I  was  unhappy, 
for  my  brothers  did  not  love  me,  because  I  was  much 
cleverer  than  they,  and  had  greater  skill  with  the  assegai, 
and  was  swifter  in  running ;  so  they  poisoned  the  mind 
of  my  father  against  me  and  he  treated  me  badly.  But 
Baleka  and  I  loved  each  other,  for  we  were  both  lonely,  and 
she  clung  to  me  like  a  creeper  to  the  only  tree  in  a  plain, 
and  though  I  was  young,  I  learned  this :  that  to  be  wise  is 
to  be  strong,  for  though  he  who  holds  the  assegai  kills,  yet 
he  whose  mind  directs  the  battle  is  greater  than  he  who 
kills.  Now  I  saw  that  the  witch-finders  and  the  medicine¬ 
men  were  feared  in  the  land,  and  that  everybody  looked  up 
to  them,  so  that,  even  when  they  had  only  a  stick  in  their 
hands,  ten  men  armed  with  spears  would  fly  before  them. 
Therefore  I  determined  that  I  would  be  a  witch-doctor,  for 
they  alone  can  kill  those  whom  they  hate  with  a  word.  So  I 
learned  the  arts  of  the  medicine-men.  I  made  sacrifices,  I 
fasted  in  the  veldt  alone,  I  did  all  those  things  of  which 
you  have  heard,  and  I  learned  much ;  for  there  is  wisdom 
in  our  magic  as  well  as  lies — and  you  know  it,  my  father, 
else  you  had  not  come  here  to  ask  me  about  your  lost  oxen. 

So  things  went  on  till  I  was  twenty  years  of  age — a  man 
full  grown.  By  now  I  had  mastered  all  I  could  learn  by 
myself,  so  I  joined  myself  on  to  the  chief  medicine-man  of 
our  tribe,  who  was  named  Noma.  He  was  old,  had  one  eye 
only,  and  was  very  clever.  Of  him  I  learned  some  tricks  and 
more  wisdom,  but  at  last  he  grew  jealous  of  me  and  set  a 
trap  to  catch  me.  As  it  chanced,  a  rich  man  of  a  neighbour¬ 
ing  tribe  had  lost  some  cattle,  and  came  with  gifts  to  Noma 
praying  him  to  smell  them  out.  Noma  tried  and  could  not 
find  them;  his  vision  failed  him.  Then  the  headman  grew 


MOPO  IS  IN  TROUBLE 


13 


angry  and  demanded  back  bis  gifts ;  but  Noma  would  not 
give  up  that  which  he  once  had  held,  and  hot  words  passed. 
The  headman  said  that  he  would  kill  Noma;  Noma  said 
that  he  would  bewitch  the  headman. 

“  Peace, ”  I  said,  for  I  feared  that  blood  would  be  shed. 
“  Peace,  and  let  me  see  if  my  snake  will  tell  me  where  the 
cattle  are.”  • 

“You  are  nothing  but  a  boy,”  answered  the  headman, 
“  Can  a  boy  have*  wisdom  ?  ” 

“  That  shall  soon  be  known,”  I  said,  taking  the  bones  in 
my  hand.1 

“Leave  the  bones  alone!”  screamed  Noma.  “We  will 
ask  nothing  more  of  our  snakes  for  the  good  of  this  son  of 
a  dog.” 

“  He  shall  throw  the  bones,”  answered  the  headman.  “  If 
you  try  to  stop  him  I  will  let  sunshine  through  you  with 
my  assegai.”  And  he  lifted  his  spear. 

Then  I  made  haste  to  begin ;  I  threw  the  bones.  The 
headman  sat  on  the  ground  before  me  and  answered  my 
questions.  You  know  of  these  matters,  my  father — how 
sometimes  the  witch-doctor  has  knowledge  of  where  the  lost 
things  are,  for  our  ears  are  long,  and  sometimes  his  Ehlose 
tells  him,  as  but  the  other  day  it  told  me  of  your  oxen. 
Well,  in  this  case,  my  snake  stood  up.  I  knew  nothing  of 
the  man’s  cattle,  but  my  Spirit  was  with  me  and  soon  I  saw 
them  all,  and  told  them  to  him  one  by  one,  their  colour, 
their  age — everything.  I  told  him,  too,  where  they  were, 
and  how  one  of  them  had  fallen  into  a  stream  and  lay  there 
on  its  back  drowned,  with  its  forefoot  caught  in  a  forked 
root.  As  my  Ehlos6  told  me  so  I  told  the  headman. 

Now,  the  man  was  pleased,  and  said  that  if  my  sight 
was  good,  and  he  found  the  cattle,  the  gifts  should  be  taken 
from  Noma  and  given  to  me ;  and  he  asked  the  people 
who  were  sitting  round,  and  there  were  many,  if  this 
was  not  just.  “Yes,  yes,”  they  said,  it  was  just,  and  they 
would  see  that  it  was  done.  But  Noma  sat  still  and  looked 
at  me  evilly.  He  knew  that  I  had  made  a  true  divination, 

1  The  Kafir  witch-doctors  use  the  knuckle  hones  of  animals  in  their 
magic  rites,  throwing  them  something  as  we  throw  dice.— Ed. 


14 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


and  he  was  very  angry.  It  was  a  big  matter :  the  herd  of 
cattle  were  many,  and,  if  they  were  found  where  I  had  said, 
then  all  men  would  think  me  the  greater  wizard.  Now  it 
was  late,  and  the  moon  had  not  yet  risen,  therefore  the 
headman  said  that  he  would  sleep  that  night  in  our  kraal, 
and  at  the  first  light  would  go  with  me  to  the  spot  where 
I  said  the  cattle  were.  After  that  he  went  away. 

I  too  went  into  my  hut  and  lay  down  to  sleep.  Suddenly 
I  awoke,  feeling  a  weight  upon  my  breast.  I  tried  to  start 
up,  but  something  cold  pricked  my  throat.  I  fell  back 
again  and  looked.  The  door  of  the  hut  was  open,  the  moon 
lay  low  on  the  sky  like  a  ball  of  fire  far  away.  I  could  see 
it  through  the  door,  and  its  light  crept  into  the  hut.  It  fell 
upon  the  face  of  Noma  the  witch-doctor.  He  was  seated 
across  me,  glaring  at  me  with  his  one  eye,  and  in  his  hand 
was  a  knife.  It  was  that  which  I  had  felt  prick  my  throat. 

“  You  whelp  whom  I  have  bred  up  to  tear  me  !  ”  he  hissed 
into  my  ear,  “  you  dared  to  divine  where  I  failed,  did  you  ? 
Very  well,  now  I  will  show  you  how  I  serve  such  puppies. 
First,  I  will  pierce  through  the  roots  of  your  tongue,  so 
that  you  cannot  squeal,  then  I  will  cut  you  to  pieces  slowly, 
bit  by  bit,  and  in  the  morning  I  will  tell  the  people  that  the 
spirits  did  it  because  you  lied.  Next,  I  will  take  off  your 
arms  and  legs.  Yes,  yes,  I  will  make  you  like  a  stick! 

Then  I  will  ” -  And  he  began  driving  in  the  knife 

under  my  chin. 

“  Mercy,  my  uncle,”  I  said,  for  I  was  frightened  and  the 
knife  hurt.  “Have  mercy,  and  I  will  do  whatever  you 
wish !  ” 

“Will  you  do  this  ?”  he  asked,  still  pricking  me  with  the 
knife.  “Will  you  get  up,  go  to  find  the  dog’s  cattle  and 
drive  them  to  a  certain  place,  and  hide  them  there  ?  ”  And 
he  named  a  secret  valley  that  was  known  to  very  few.  “  If 
you  do  that,  I  will  spare  you  and  give  you  three  of  the  cows. 
If  you  refuse  or  play  me  false,  then,  by  my  father’s  spirit, 
I  will  find  a  way  to  kill  you  !  ” 

“Certainly  I  will  do  it,  my  uncle,”  I  answered.  “Why 
did  you  not  trust  me  before?  Had  I  known  that  you 
wanted  to  keep  the  cattle,  I  would  never  have  smelt  them 


MOPO  IS  IN  TROUBLE 


15 


out.  I  only  did  so  fearing  lest  you  should  lose  the 
presents.” 

“  You  are  not  so  wicked  as  I  thought,”  he  growled.  “  Get 
up,  then,  and  do  my  bidding.  You  can  be  back  here  two 
hours  after  dawn.” 

So  I  got  up,  thinking  all  the  while  whether  I  should 
try  to  spring  on  him.  But  I  was  without  arms,  and  he 
had  the  knife ;  also  if,  by  chance,  I  prevailed  and  killed 
him,  it  would  have  been  thought  that  I  had  murdered  him, 
and  I  should  have  tasted  the  assegai.  So  I  made  another 
plan.  I  would  go  and  find  the  cattle  in  the  valley  where  I 
had  smelt  them  out,  but  I  would  not  bring  them  to  the 
secret  hiding-place.  No ;  I  would  drive  them  straight  to  the 
kraal,  and  denounce  Noma  before  the  chief,  my  father,  and 
all  the  people.  But  I  was  young  in  those  days,  and  did 
not  know  the  heart  of  Noma.  He  had  not  been  a  witch¬ 
doctor  till  he  grew  old  for  nothing.  Oh  !  he  was  evil ! — he 
was  cunning  as  a  jackal,  and  fierce  like  a  lion.  He  had 
planted  me  by  him  like  a  tree,  but  he  meant  to  keep  me 
clipped  like  a  bush.  Now  I  had  grown  tall  and  over¬ 
shadowed  him  ;  therefore  he  would  root  me  up. 

I  went  to  the  corner  of  my  hut,  Noma  watching  me  all 
the  while,  and  took  a  kerrie  and  my  small  shield.  Then  I 
started  through  the  moonlight.  Till  I  was  past  the  kraal  I 
glided  along  quietly  as  a  shadow.  After  that,  I  began  to 
run,  singing  to  myself  as  I  went,  to  frighten  away  the 
ghosts,  my  father. 

For  an  hour  I  travelled  swiftly  over  the  plain,  till  I  came 
to  the  hillside  where  the  bush  began.  Here  it  was  very 
dark  under  the  shade  of  the  trees,  and  I  sang  louder  than 
ever.  At  last  I  found  the  little  buffalo  path  I  sought,  and 
turned  along  it.  Presently  I  came  to  an  open  place,  where 
the  moonlight  crept  in  between  the  trees.  I  knelt  down 
and  looked.  Yes !  my  snake  had  not  lied  to  me ;  there 
was  the  spoor  of  the  cattle.  Then  I  went  on  gladly  till  I 
reached  a  dell  through  which  the  water  ran  softly,  some¬ 
times  whispering  and  sometimes  talking  out  loud.  Here 
the  trail  of  the  cattle  was  broad :  they  had  broken  down 
the  ferns  with  their  feet  and  trampled  the  grass.  Pres- 


1 6 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


ently  I  came  to  a  pool.  I  knew  it — it  was  the  pool  my 
snake  had  shown  to  me.  And  there  at  the  edge  of  the  pool 
floated  the  drowned  ox,  its  foot  caught  in  a  forked  root. 
All  was  just  as  I  had  seen  it  in  my  heart. 

I  stepped  forward  and  looked  round.  My  eye  caught 
something ;  it  was  the  faint  grey  light  of  the  dawn  glint¬ 
ing  on  the  cattle’s  horns.  As  I  looked,  one  of  them  snorted, 
rose  and  shook  the  dew  from  his  hide.  He  seemed  big  as 
an  elephant  in  the  mist  and  twilight. 

Then  I  collected  them  all — there  were  seventeen — and 
drove  them  before  me  down  the  narrow  path  back  towards 
the  kraal.  Now  the  daylight  came  quickly,  and  the  sun  had 
been  up  an  hour  when  I  reached  the  spot  where  I  must 
turn  if  I  wished  to  hide  the  cattle  in  the  secret  place,  as 
Noma  had  bid  me.  But  I  would  not  do  this.  No,  I  would 
go  on  to  the  kraal  with  them,  and  tell  all  men  that  Noma 
was  a  thief.  Still,  I  sat  down  and  rested  awhile,  for  I  was 
tired.  As  I  sat,  I  heard  a  noise,  and  looked  up.  There, 
over  the  slope  of  the  rise,  came  a  crowd  of  men,  and  leading 
them  was  Noma,  and  by  his  side  the  headman  who  owned 
the  cattle.  I  rose  and  stood  still,  wondering;  but  as  I  stood, 
they  ran  towards  me  shouting  and  waving  sticks  and  spears. 

“  There  he  is  !  ”  screamed  Noma.  “  There  he  is  ! — the 
clever  boy  whom  I  have  brought  up  to  bring  shame  on  me. 
What  did  I  tell  you  ?  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  he  was  a 
thief?  Yes — yes!  I  know  your  tricks,  Mopo,  my  child!- 
See  !  he  is  stealing  the  cattle  !  He  knew  where  they  were 
all  the  time,  and  now  he  is  taking  them  away  to  hide  them. 
They  would  be  useful  to  buy  a  wife  with,  would  they  not, 
my  clever  boy  ?  ”  And  he  made  a  rush  at  me,  with  his  stick 
lifted,  and  after  him  came  the  headman,  grunting  with  rage. 

I  understood  now,  my  father.  My  heart  went  mad  in  me, 
everything  began  to  swim  round,  a  red  cloth  seemed  to  lift 
itself  up  and  down  before  my  eyes.  I  have  always  seen  it 
thus  when  I  was  forced  to  fight.  I  screamed  out  one  word 
only,  “Liar!”  and  ran  to  meet  him.  On  came  Noma. 
He  struck  at  me  with  his  stick,  but  I  caught  the  blow  upon 
my  little  shield,  and  hit  back.  Wow  !  I  did  hit !  The 
skull  of  Noma  met  my  kerrie,  and  down  he  fell  dead  at  my 


MOPO  VENTURES  P10ME 


17 


feet.  I  yelled  again,  and  rushed  on  at  the  headman.  He 
threw  an  assegai,  but  it  missed  me,  and  next  second  I  hit 
him  too.  He  got  up  his  shield,  but  I  knocked  it  down  upon 
his  head,  and  over  he  rolled  senseless.  Whether  he  lived 
or  died  I  do  not  know,  my  father ;  but  his  head  being  of  the 
thickest,  I  think  it  likely  that  he  lived.  Then,  while  the 
people  stood  astonished,  I  turned  and  fled  like  the  wind. 
They  turned  too,  and  ran  after  me,  throwing  spears  at  me 
and  trying  to  cut  me  off.  But  none  of  them  could  catch 
me — no,  not  one.  I  went  like  the  wind ;  I  went  like  a 
buck  when  the  dogs  wake  it  from  sleep ;  and  presently  the 
sound  of  their  chase  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  till  at  last  I 
was  out  of  sight  and  alone. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MOPO  VENTURES  HOME. 

I  threw  myself  down  on  the  grass  and  panted  till  my 
breath  came  back;  then  I  went  and  hid  in  a  patch  of 
reeds  down  by  a  swamp.  All  day  long  I  lay  there  think¬ 
ing.  What  was  I  to  do  ?  Now  I  was  a  jackal  without  a 
hole.  If  I  went  back  to  my  people,  certainly  they  would 
kill  me,  whom  they  thought  a  thief.  My  blood  would  be 
given  for  Noma’s,  and  that  I  did  not  wish,  though  my  heart 
was  sad.  Then  there  came  into  my  mind  the  thought  of 
Chaka,  the  boy  to  whom  I  had  given  the  cup  of  water  long 
ago.  I  had  heard  of  him  :  his  name  was  known  in  the  land; 
already  the  air  was  big  with  it ;  the  very  trees  and  grass 
spoke  it.  The  words  he  had  said  and  the  vision  that  my 
mother  had  seen  were  beginning  to  come  true.  By  the  help 
of  the  Umtetwas  he  had  taken  the  place  of  his  father  Sen- 
zangacona ;  he  had  driven  out  the  tribe  of  the  Amaquabe ; 
now  he  made  war  on  Zweete,  chief  of  the  Endwande,  and 
he  had  sworn  that  he  would  stamp  the  Endwande  flat,  so 
that  nobody  could  find  them  any  more.  Now  I  remembered 
how  this  Chaka  promised  that  he  would  make  me  great,  and 
that  I  should  grow  fat  in  his  shadow ;  and  I  thought  to 

c 


i8 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


myself  that  I  would  arise  and  go  to  him.  Perhaps  h« 
would  kill  me;  well,  what  did  it  matter?  Certainly  I 
should  be  killed  if  I  stayed  here.  Yes,  I  would  go.  But 
now  my  heart  pulled  another  way.  There  was  but  one 
whom  I  loved  in  the  world — it  was  my  sister  Baleka.  My 
father  had  betrothed  her  to  the  chief  of  a  neighbouring 
tribe,  but  I  knew  that  this  marriage  was  against  her  wish. 
Perhaps  my  sister  would  run  away  with  me  if  I  could  get 
near  her  to  tell  her  that  I  was  going.  I  would  try — yes,  I 
would  try. 

I  waited  till  the  darkness  came  down,  then  I  rose  from 
my  bed  of  weeds  and  crept  like  a  jackal  towards  the  kraal. 
In  the  mealie  gardens  I  stopped  awhile,  for  I  was  very 
hungry,  and  filled  myself  with  the  half-ripe  mealies.  Then  I 
went  on  till  I  came  to  the  kraal.  Some  of  my  people  were 
seated  outside  of  a  hut,  talking  together  over  a  fire.  I  crept 
near,  silently  as  a  snake,  and  hid  behind  a  little  bush.  I 
knew  that  they  could  not  see  me  outside  the  ring  of  the 
firelight,  and  I  wanted  to  hear  what  they  said.  As  I 
guessed,  they  were  talking  of  me  and  called  me  many 
names.  They  said  that  I  should  bring  ill-luck  on  the  tribe 
by  having  killed  so  great  a  witch-doctor  as  Noma;  also 
that  the  people  of  the  headman  would  demand  payment  for 
the  assault  on  him.  I  learned,  moreover,  that  my  father 
had  ordered  out  all  the  men  of  the  tribe  to  hunt  for  me 
on  the  morrow  and  to  kill  me  wherever  they  found  me. 
“  Ah !  ”  I  thought,  “  you  may  hunt,  but  you  will  bring 
nothing  home  to  the  pot.”  Just  then  a  dog  that  was  lying 
by  the  fire  got  up  and  began  to  sniff  the  air.  I  could  not 
see  what  dog  it  was — indeed,  I  had  forgotten  all  about  the 
dogs  when  I  drew  near  the  kraal;  that  is  what  comes  of 
want  of  experience,  my  father.  The  dog  sniffed  and  sniffed, 
then  he  began  to  growl,  looking  always  my  way,  and  I  grew 
afraid. 

“  A  hat  is  the  dog  growling  at  ?  ”  said  one  man  to  another. 
“  Go  and  see.”  But  the  other  man  was  taking  snuff  and 
did  not  like  to  move.  “  Let  the  dog  go  and  see  for  himself,” 
he  answered,  sneezing,  “what  is  the  good  of  keeping  a  dog 
if  you  have  to  catch  the  thief  ?  ” 


MOPO  VENTURES  HOME 


19 


“Go  on,  then/’  said  the  first  man  to  the  dog.  And  he 
ran  forward,  barking.  Then  I  saw  him  :  it  was  my  own  dog, 
Koos,  a  very  good  dog.  Presently,  as  I  lay  not  knowing 
what  to  do,  he  smelt  my  smell,  stopped  barking,  and  run¬ 
ning  round  the  bush  he  found  me  and  began  to  lick  my 
face.  “Be  quiet,  Koos!”  I  whispered  to  him.  And  he 
lay  down  by  my  side. 

“  Where  has  that  dog  gone  now  ?  ”  said  the  first  man. 
“  Is  he  bewitched,  that  he  stops  barking  suddenly  and  does 
not  come  back  ?  ” 

“We  will  see,”  said  the  other,  rising,  a  spear  in  his  hand. 

Now  once  more  I  was  terribly  afraid,  for  I  thought  that 
they  would  catch  me,  or  I  must  run  for  my  life  again.  But 
as  I  sprang  up  to  run,  a  big  black  snake  glided  between  the 
men  and  went  off  towards  the  huts.  They  jumped  aside  in 
a  great  fright,  then  all  of  them  turned  to  follow  the  snake, 
saying  that  this  was  what  the  dog  was  barking  at.  That 
was  my  good  Elilose,  my  father,  which  without  any  doubt 
took  the  shape  of  a  snake  to  save  my  life. 

When  they  had  gone  I  crept  off  the  other  way,  and  Koos 
followed  me.  At  first  I  thought  that  I  would  kill  him,  lest 
he  should  betray  me ;  but  when  I  called  him  to  me  to  knock 
him  on  the  head  with  my  kerrie,  he  sat  down  upon  the  ground 
wagging  his  tail,  and  seemed  to  smile  in  my  face,  and  I 
could  not  do  it.  So  I  thought  that  I  would  take  my  chance, 
and  we  went  on  together.  This  was  my  purpose :  first  to 
creep  into  my  own  hut  and  get  my  assegais  and  a  skin 
blanket,  then  to  gain  speech  with  Baleka.  My  hut,  I 
thought,  would  be  empty,  for  nobody  slept  there  except 
myself,  and  the  huts  of  Noma  were  some  paces  away  to  the 
right.  I  came  to  the  reed  fence  that  surrounded  the  huts. 
Nobody  was  to  be  seen  at  the  gate,  which  was  not  shut  with 
thorns  as  usual.  It  was  my  duty  to  close  it,  and  I  had  not 
been  there  to  do  so.  Then,  bidding  the  dog  lie  down  outside, 
I  stepped  through  boldly,  reached  the  door  of  my  hut,  and 
listened.  It  was  empty ;  there  was  not  even  a  breath  to  be 
heard.  So  I  crept  in  and  began  to  search  for  my  assegais, 
my  water-gourd,  and  my  wood  pillow,  which  was  so  nicely 
carved  that  I  did  not  like  to  leave  it.  Soon  I  found  them. 

c  2 


20 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Then  I  felt  about  for  my  skin  rug,  and  as  I  did  so  my  hand 
touched  something  cold.  I  started,  and  felt  again.  It  was 
a  man’s  face — the  face  of  a  dead  man,  of  Noma,  whom  I 
had  killed  and  who  had  been  laid  in  my  hut  to  await  burial. 
Oh !  then  I  was  frightened,  for  Noma  dead  and  in  the  dark 
was  worse  than  Noma  alive.  I  made  ready  to  fly,  when 
suddenly  I  heard  the  voices  of  women  talking  outside  the 
door  of  the  hut.  I  knew  the  voices ;  they  were  those  of 
Noma’s  two  wives,  and  one  of  them  said  that  she  was  com¬ 
ing  in  to  watch  by  her  husband’s  body.  Now  I  was  in  a 
trap  indeed,  for  before  I  could  do  anything  I  saw  the  light 
go  out  of  the  hole  in  the  hut,  and  knew  by  the  sound  of  a 
fat  woman  puffing  as  she  bent  herself  up  that  Noma’s  first 
wife  was  coming  through  it.  Presently  she  was  in,  and, 
squatting  herself  by  the  side  of  the  corpse  in  such  a  fashion 
that  I  could  not  get  to  the  door,  she  began  to  make  lamenta¬ 
tions  and  to  call  down  curses  on  me.  Ah !  she  did  not 
know  that  I  was  listening.  I  too  squatted  by  Noma’s  head, 
and  grew  quick-witted  in  my  fear.  Now  that  the  woman 
was  there  I  was  not  so  much  afraid  of  the  dead  man,  and  I 
remembered,  too,  that  he  had  been  a  great  cheat ;  so  I 
thought  I  would  make  him  cheat  for  the  last  time.  I  placed 
my  hands  beneath  his  shoulders  and  pushed  him  up  so  that 
he  sat  upon  the  ground.  The  woman  heard  the  noise,  and 
made  a  sound  in  her  throat. 

“  Will  you  not  be  quiet,  you  old  hag  ?  ”  I  said  in  Noma’s 
voice.  “  Can  you  not  let  me  be  at  peace,  even  now  when  I 
am  dead  ?  ” 

She  heard,  and,  falling  backwards  in  fear,  drew  in  her 
breath  to  shriek  aloud. 

“  What !  will  you  also  dare  to  shriek  ?  ”  I  said  again  in 
Noma’s  voice ;  “  then  I  must  teach  you  silence.”  And  I 
tumbled  him  over  on  to  the  top  of  her. 

Then  her  senses  left  her,  and  whether  she  ever  found 
them  again  I  do  not  know.  At  least  she  grew  quiet  for 
that  time.  For  me,  I  snatched  up  the  rug — afterwards  I 
found  it  was  Noma’s  best  kaross,  made  by  Basutos  of  chosen 
cat-skins,  and  worth  three  oxen — and  I  fled,  followed  by  Koos. 

Now  the  kraal  of  the  chief,  my  father,  Makedama,  was 


MOPO  VENTURES  HOME 


21 


two  hundred  paces  away,  and  I  must  go  thither,  for  there 
Baleka  slept.  Also  I  dared  not  enter  by  the  gate,  because 
a  man  was  always  on  guard  there.  So  I  cut  my  way 
through  the  reed  fence  with  my  assegai  and  crept  to  the 
hut  where  Baleka  was  with  some  of  her  half-sisters.  1 
knew  on  which  side  of  the  hut  it  was  her  custom  to  lie,  and 
where  her  head  would  be.  So  I  lay  down  on  my  side  and 
gently,  very  gently,  began  to  bore  a  hole  in  the  grass  cover¬ 
ing  of  the  hut.  It  took  a  long  while,  for  the  thatch  was 
thick,  but  at  last  I  was  nearly  through  it.  Then  I  stopped, 
for  it  came  into  my  mind  that  Baleka  might  have  changed 
her  place  and  that  I  might  wake  the  wrong  girl.  I  almost 
gave  it  over,  thinking  that  I  would  fly  alone,  when  sud¬ 
denly  I  heard  a  girl  wake  and  begin  to  cry  on  the  other 
side  of  the  thatch.  “  Ah,”  I  thought,  “  that  is  Baleka,  who 
weeps  for  her  brother  !  ”  So  I  put  my  lips  where  the 
thatch  was  thinnest  and  whispered:  — 

“  Baleka,  my  sister  !  Baleka,  do  not  weep  !  I,  Mopo,  am 
here.  Say  not  a  word,  but  rise.  Come  out  of  the  hut, 
bringing  your  skin  blanket.” 

Now  Baleka  was  very  clever :  she  did  not  shriek,  as 
most  girls  would  have  done.  No;  she  understood,  and, 
after  waiting  awhile,  she  rose  and  crept  from  the  hut,  her 
blanket  in  her  hand. 

“Why  are  you  here,  Mopo?”  she  whispered,  as  we  met. 
“Surely  you  will  be  killed  !  ” 

“  Hush  !  ”  I  said.  And  then  I  told  her  of  the  plan  which  I 
had  made.  “  Will  you  come  with  me  ?  ”  I  said,  when  I  had 
done,  “  or  will  you  creep  back  into  the  hut  and  bid  me  fare- 
Avell  ?  ” 

She  thought  awhile,  then  she  said,  “  No,  my  brother,  I 
will  come,  for  I  love  you  alone  among  our  people,  though  I 
believe  that  this  will  be  the  end  of  it — that  you  will  lead 
me  to  my  death.” 

I  did  not  think  much  of  her  words  at  the  time,  but  after¬ 
wards  they  came  back  to  me.  So  we  slipped  away  together, 
followed  by  the  dog  Koos,  and  soon  we  were  running  over 
the  veldt  with  our  faces  set  towards  the  country  of  the  Zulu 
tribe. 


22 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOPO  AND  BALEKA. 

All  the  rest  of  that  night  we  journeyed,  till  even  the  dog 
was  tired.  Then  we  hid  in  a  mealie  held  for  the  day,  as  we 
were  afraid  of  being  seen.  Towards  the  afternoon  we  heard 
voices,  and,  looking  through  the  stems  of  the  mealies,  we 
saw  a  party  of  my  father’s  men  pass  searching  for  ns.  They 
went  on  to  a  neighbouring  kraal  to  ask  if  we  had  been  seen, 
and  after  that  we  saw  them  no  more  for  awhile.  At  night 
we  travelled  again ;  but,  as  fate  would  have  it,  we  were  met 
by  an  old  woman,  who  looked  oddly  at  us  but  said  nothing. 
After  that  we  pushed  on  day  and  night,  for  we  knew  that 
the  old  woman  would  tell  the  pursuers  if  she  met  them ; 
and  so  indeed  it  came  about.  On  the  third  evening  we 
reached  some  mealie  gardens,  and  saw  that  they  had  been 
trampled  down.  Among  the  broken  mealies  we  found  the 
body  of  a  very  old  man,  as  full  of  assegai  wounds  as  a  por¬ 
cupine  with  quills.  We  wondered  at  this,  and  went  on  a 
little  way.  Then  we  saw  that  the  kraal  to  which  the  gar¬ 
dens  belonged  was  burnt  down.  We  crept  up  to  it,  and — 
ah  !  it  was  a  sad  sight  for  us  to  see  !  Afterwards  we  became 
used  to  such  sights.  All  about  lay  the  bodies  of  dead  people, 
scores  of  them — old  men,  young  men,  women,  children, 
little  babies  at  the  breast — there  they  lay  among  the  burnt 
huts,  pierced  with  assegai  wounds.  Red  was  the  earth  with 
their  blood,  and  red  they  looked  in  the  red  light  of  the 
setting  sun.  It  was  as  though  all  the  land  had  been 
smeared  with  the  bloody  hand  of  the  Great  Spirit,  of  the 
Umkulunkulu.  Baleka  saw  it  and  began  to  cry:  she  was 
weary,  poor  girl,  and  we  had  found  little  to  eat,  only  grass 
and  green  corn. 

“  An  enemy  has  been  here,”  I  said,  and  as  I  spoke  I 
thought  that  I  heard  a  groan  from  the  other  side  of  a 
broken  reed  hedge.  I  went  and  looked.  There  lay  a 
young  woman :  she  was  badly  wounded,  but  still  alive,  my 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOPO  AND  BALEKA 


23 


father.  A  little  way  from  her  lay  a  man  dead,  and  before 
him  several  other  men  of  another  tribe :  he  had  died  fight¬ 
ing.  In  front  of  the  woman  were  the  bodies  of  three  chil¬ 
dren  ;  another,  a  little  one,  lay  on  her  body.  I  looked  at 
the  woman,  and,  as  I  looked,  she  groaned  again,  opened  her 
eyes  and  saw  me,  and  that  I  had  a  spear  in  my  hand. 

“  Kill  me  quickly  !  ”  she  said.  “  Have  you  not  tortured 
me  enough  ?  ” 

I  said  that  I  was  a  stranger  and  did  not  want  to  kill  her. 

“Then  bring  me  water; ”  she  said;  “there  is  a  spring 
there  behind  the  kraal.” 

I  called  to  Baleka  to  come  to  the  woman,  and  went  with 
my  gourd  to  the  spring.  There  were  bodies  in  it,  but  I 
dragged  them  out,  and  when  the  water  had  cleared  a  little 
I  filled  the  gourd  and  brought  it  to  the  woman.  She  drank 
deep,  and  her  strength  came  back  a  little — the  water  gave 
her  life. 

“  How  did  you  come  to  this  ?  ”  I  asked. 

“  It  was  an  impi  of  Chaka,  Chief  of  the  Zulus,  that  ate 
us  up,”  she  answered.  “  They  burst  upon  us  at  dawn  this 
morning  while  we  were  asleep  in  our  huts.  Yes,  I  woke 
up  to  hear  the  sound  of  killing.  I  was  sleeping  by  my  hus¬ 
band,  with  him  who  lies  there,  and  the  children.  We  all  ran 
out.  My  husband  had  a  spear  and  shield.  He  was  a  brave 
man.  See !  he  died  bravely :  he  killed  three  of  the  Zulu 
devils  before  he  himself  was  dead.  Then  they  caught  me, 
and  killed  my  children,  and  stabbed  me  till  they  thought 
that  I  was  dead.  Afterwards,  they  went  away.  I  don’t 
know  why  they  came,  but  I  think  it  was  because  our  chief 
would  not  send  men  to  help  Chaka  against  Zweete.” 

She  stopped,  gave  a  great  cry,  and  died. 

My  sister  wept  at  the  sight,  and  I  too  was  stirred  by 
it.  “  Ah !  ”  I  thought  to  myself,  “  the  Great  Spirit 
must  be  evil.  If  he  is  not  evil  such  things  would  not 
happen.”  That  is  how  I  thought  then,  my  father;  now  I 
think  differently.  I  know  that  we  had  not  found  out  the 
path  of  the  Great  Spirit,  that  is  all.  I  was  a  chicken  in 
those  days,  my  father ;  afterwards  I  got  used  to  such 
sights.  They  did  not  stir  me  any  more,  not  one  whit.  But 


24 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


then  in  the  days 'of  Chaka  the  rivers  ran  blood — yes,  we 
had  to  look  at  the  water  to  see  if  it  was  clean  before  we 
drank.  People  learned  how  to  die  then  and  not  make  a 
noise  about  it.  What  does  it  matter  ?  They  would  have 
been  dead  now  anyway.  It  does  not  matter;  nothing 
matters,  except  being  born.  That  is  a  mistake,  my  father. 

We  stopped  at  the  kraal  that  night,  but  we  could  not 
sleep,  for  we  heard  the  Itongo ,  the  ghosts  of  the  dead 
people,  moving  about  and  calling  to  each  other.  It  was 
natural  that  they  should  do  so;  men  were  looking  for  their 
wives,  and  mothers  for  their  children.  But  we  were  afraid 
that  they  might  be  angry  with  us  for  being  there,  so  we 
clung  together  and  trembled  in  each  other’s  arms.  Koos 
also  trembled,  and  from  time  to  time  he  howled  loudly. 
But  they  did  not  seem  to  see  us,  and  towards  morning  their 
cries  grew  fainter. 

When  the  first  light  came  we  rose  and  picked  our  way 
through  the  dead  down  to  the  plain.  Now  we  had  an  easy 
road  to  follow  to  Chaka’s  kraal,  for  there  was  the  spoor  of 
the  impi  and  of  the  cattle  which  they  had  stolen,  and  some¬ 
times  we  came  to  the  body  of  a  warrior  who  had  been  killed 
because  his  wounds  prevented  him  from  marching  farther. 
But  now  I  was  doubtful  whether  it  was  wise  for  us  to  go  to 
Chaka,  for  after  what  we  had  seen  I  grew  afraid  lest  he 
should  kill  us.  Still,  we  had  nowhere  to  turn,  so  I  said 
that  we  would  walk  along  till  something  happened.  Now  we 
grew  faint  with  hunger  and  weariness,  and  Baleka  said  that 
we  had  better  sit  down  and  die,  for  then  there  would  be  no 
more  trouble.  So  we  sat  down  by  a  spring.  But  I  did  not 
wish  to  die  yet,  though  Baleka  was  right,  and  it  would  have 
been  well  to  do  so.  As  we  sat,  the  dog  Koos  went  to  a  bush 
that  was  near,  and  presently  I  heard  him  spring  at  some¬ 
thing  and  the  sound  of  struggling.  I  ran  to  the  bush — he 
had  caught  hold  of  a  duiker  buck,  as  big  as  himself,  that 
was  asleep  in  it.  Then  I  drove  my  spear  into  the  buck  and 
shouted  for  joy,  for  here  was  food.  When  the  buck  was 
dead  I  skinned  him,  and  we  took  bits  of  the  flesh,  washed 
them  in  the  water,  and  ate  them,  for  we  had  no  fire  to  cook 
them  with.  It  is  not  nice  to  eat  uncooked  flesh,  but  we 


‘  Baleka  looked  up,  and  gave  a  cry  of  fear.’ 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOPO  AND  BALEKA 


25 


were  so  hungry  that  we  did  not  mind,  and  the  food 
refreshed  us.  When  we  had  eaten  what  we  could,  we 
rose  and  washed  ourselves  at  the  spring ;  but,  as  we 
washed,  Baleka  looked  up  and  gave  a  cry  of  fear.  For 
there,  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  about  ten  spear-throws  away, 
was  a  party  of  six  armed  men,  people  of  my  own  tribe — 
children  of  my  father  Makedama — who  still  pursued  us  to 
take  us  or  kill  us.  They  saw  us — they  raised  a  shout,  and 
began  to  run.  We  too  sprang  up  and  ran — ran  like  bucks, 
for  fear  had  touched  our  feet. 

Now  the  land  lay  thus.  Before  us  the  ground  was  open 
and  sloped  down  to  the  banks  of  the  White  Umfolozi,  which 
twisted  through  the  plain  like  a  great  and  shining  snake. 
On  the  other  side  the  ground  rose  again,  and  we  did  not 
know  what  was  beyond,  but  we  thought  that  in  this  direc¬ 
tion  lay  the  kraal  of  Chaka.  We  ran  for  the  river — where 
else  were  we  to  run?  And  after  us  came  the  warriors. 
They  gained  on  us ;  they  were  strong,  and  they  were  angry 
because  they  had  come  so  far.  Bun  as  we  would,  still  they 
gained.  Now  we  neared  the  banks  of  the  river ;  it  was  full 
and  wide.  Above  us  the  waters  ran  angrily,  breaking  into 
swirls  of  white  where  they  passed  over  sunken  rocks  ;  below 
was  a  rapid,  in  which  none  might  live ;  between  the  two  a 
deep  pool,  where  the  water  was  quiet  but  the  stream  strong. 

“  Ah  !  my  brother,  what  shall  we  do  ?  ”  gasped  Baleka. 

“There  is  this  to  choose/’  I  answered;  “perish  on  the 
spears  of  our  people  or  try  the  river.” 

“Easier  to  die  by  water  than  on  iron,”  she  answered. 

“Good  !  ”  I  said.  “Now  may  our  snakes  look  towards  us 
and  the  spirits  of  our  fathers  be  with  us  !  At  the  least  we 
can  swim.”  And  I  led  her  to  the  head  of  the  pool.  We 
threw  away  our  blankets — everything  except  an  assegai, 
which  I  held  in  my  teeth — and  we  plunged  in,  wading  as 
far  as  we  could.  Now  we  were  up  to  our  breasts  ;  now  we 
had  lost  the  earth  and  were  swimming  towards  the  middle 
of  the  river,  the  dog  Koos  leading  the  way. 

Then  it  was  that  the  soldiers  appeared  upon  the  bank. 
“Ah!  little  people,”  one  cried,  “you  swim,  do  you?  Well, 
you  will  drown ;  and  if  you  do  not  drown  we  know  a  ford, 


2  6 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


and  we  will  catch  you  and  kill  you — yes !  if  we  must  run 
over  the  edge  of  the  world  after  you  we  will  catch  you.” 
And  he  hurled  an  assegai  after  us,  which  fell  between  us 
like  a  flash  of  light. 

While  he  spoke  we  swam  hard,  and  now  we  were  in  the 
current.  It  swept  us  downwards,  but  still  we  made  way,  for 
we  could  swim  well.  It  was  just  this :  if  we  could  reach 
the  bank  before  we  were  swept  into  the  rapids  we  were 
safe ;  if  not,  then — good-night !  Now  we  were  near  the 
other  side,  but,  alas  !  we  were  also  near  the  lip  of  the  foaming 
water.  We  strained,  we  struggled.  Baleka  was  a  brave  girl, 
and  she  swam  bravely ;  but  the  water  pushed  her  down  be¬ 
low  me,  and  I  could  do  nothing  to  help  her.  I  got  my  foot 
upon  the  rock  and  looked  round.  There  she  was,  and  eight 
paces  from  her  the  broken  water  boiled.  I  could  not  go 
back.  I  was  too  weak,  and  it  seemed  that  she  must  perish. 
But  the  dog  Koos  saw.  ITe  swam  to  her,  barking,  then 
turned  round,  heading  for  the  shore.  She  grasped  him  by  the 
tail  with  her  right  hand.  Then  he  put  out  his  strength — 
he  was  very  strong.  She  too  struck  out  with  her  feet  and 
left  hand,  and  slowly — very  slowly — drew  near.  Then  I 
stretched  out  the  handle  of  my  assegai  towards  her.  She 
caught  it  with  her  left  hand.  Already  her  feet  were 
over  the  brink  of  the  rapids,  but  I  pulled  and  Koos  pulled, 
and  we  brought  her  safe  into  the  shallows,  and  from  the 
shallows  to  the  bank,  and  there  she  fell  gasping. 

Now  when  the  soldiers  on  the  other  bank  saw  that  we 
had  crossed,  they  shouted  threats  at  us,  then  ran  away 
down  the  bank. 

“  Arise,  Baleka !  ”  I  said :  “  they  have  gone  to  seek  a 
ford.” 

“  Ah,  let  me  die  !  ”  she  answered. 

But  I  forced  her  to  rise,  and  after  awhile  she  got  her 
breath  again,  and  we  walked  on  as  fast  as  we  could  up  the 
long  rise.  Bor  two  hours  we  walked,  or  more,  till  at  last 
we  came  to  the  crest  of  the  rise,  and  there,  far  away,  we 
saw  a  large  kraal. 

“Keep  heart,”  I  said.  “See,  there  is  the  kraal  of 
Chaka.” 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOPO  AND  BALFKA 


27 


“  Yes,  brother,”  she  answered,  “  but  what  waits  us  there  ? 
Death  is  behind  us  and  before  us — we  are  in  the  middle  of 
death.” 

Presently  we  came  to  a  path  that  ran  to  the  kraal  from 
the  ford  of  the  Umfelozi.  It  was  by  it  that  the  Impi  had 
travelled.  We  followed  the  path  till  at  last  we  were  but 
half  an  hour’s  journey  from  the  kraal.  Then  we  looked 
back,  and  lo !  there  behind  us  were  the  pursuers — five  of 
them — one  had  been  drowned  in  crossing  the  river. 

Again  we  ran,  but  now  we  were  weak,  and  they  gained 
upon  us.  Then  once  more  I  thought  of  the  dog.  He  was 
fierce  and  would  tear  any  one  on  whom  I  set  him.  I  called 
him  and  told  him  what  to  do,  though  I  knew  that  it  would 
be  his  death.  He  understood,  and  flew  towards  the  sol¬ 
diers  growling,  his  hair  standing  up  on  his  spine.  They 
tried  to  kill  him  with  spears  and  kerries,  but  he  jumped 
round  them,  biting  at  them,  and  kept  them  back.  At  last 
a  man  hit  him,  and  he  sprang  up  and  seized  the  man  by 
the  throat.  There  he  clung,  man  and  dog  rolling  over  and 
over  together,  till  the  end  of  it  was  that  they  both  died. 
Ah!  he  was  a  dog!  We  do  not  see  such  dogs  nowadays. 
His  father  was  a  Boer  hound,  the  first  that  came  into  the 
country.  That  dog  once  killed  a  leopard  all  by  himself. 
Well,  this  was  the  end  of  Koos ! 

Meanwhile,  we  had  been  running.  Now  we  were  but 
three  hundred  paces  from  the  gate  of  the  kraal,  and  there 
was  something  going  on  inside  it ;  that  we  could  see  from 
the  noise  and  dust.  The  four  soldiers,  leaving  the  dead 
dog  and  the  dying  man,  came  after  us  swiftly.  I  saw  that 
they  must  catch  us  before  we  reached  the  gate,  for  now 
Baleka  could  go  but  slowly.  Then  a  thought  came  into  my 
head.  I  had  brought  her  here,  I  would  save  her  life  if  I 
could.  Should  she  reach  the  kraal  without  me,  Chaka 
would  not  kill  a  girl  who  was  so  young  and  fair. 

“Bun  on,  Baleka!  run  on!”  I  said,  dropping  behind. 
Now  she  was  almost  blind  with  weariness  and  terror,  and, 
not  seeing  my  purpose,  staggered  towards  the  gate  of  the 
kraal.  But  I  sat  down  on  the  veldt  to  get  my  breath  again, 
for  I  was  about  to  fight  four  men  till  I  was  killed.  My 


28 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


heart  beat  and  the  blood  drummed  in  my  ears,  but  when 
they  drew  near  and  I  rose — the  assegai  in  my  hand — once 
more  the  red  cloth  seemed  to  go  up  and  down  before  my 
eyes,  and  all  fear  left  me. 

The  men  were  running,  two  and  two,  with  the  length  of 
a  spear-tlirow  between  them.  But  of  the  first  pair  one  was 
five  or  six  paces  in  front  of  the  other.  This  man  shouted 
out  loud  and  charged  me,  shield  and  spear  up.  Now  I  had 
no  shield — nothing  but  the  assegai ;  but  I  was  crafty  and 
he  was  overbold.  On  he  came.  I  stood  waiting  for  him 
till  he  drew  back  the  spear  to  stab  me.  Then  suddenly  I 
dropped  to  my  knees  and  thrust  upward  with  all  my  strength 
beneath  the  rim  of  his  shield ;  and  he  also  thrust,  but  over 
me,  his  spear  only  cutting  the  flesh  of  my  shoulder — see ! 
here  is  its  scar  ;  yes,  to  this  day.  And  my  assegai  ?  Ah  ! 
it  went  home  ;  it  ran  through  and  through  his  middle.  He 
rolled  over  and  over  on  the  plain.  The  dust  hid  him ;  only 
I  was  now  weaponless,  for  the  haft  of  my  spear — it  was 
but  a  light  throwing  assegai — broke  in  two,  leaving  noth¬ 
ing  but  a  little  bit  of  stick  in  my  hand.  And  the  other  one 
was  on  me !  He  looked  tall  as  a  tree  above  me.  I  was 
already  dead ;  there  was  no  hope ;  darkness  opened  to 
swallow  me.  Then  in  the  darkness  I  saw  a  light.  I  fell 
on  to  my  hands  and  knees  and  flung  myself  over  sideways. 
My  body  struck  the  legs  of  the  man  who  was  about  to  stab 
me,  lifting  his  feet  from  beneath  him.  Down  he  cam-.) 
heavily.  Before  he  had  touched  the  ground  I  was  off  it. 
His  spear  had  fallen  from  his  hand.  I  stooped,  seized  it, 
and  as  he  rose  I  stabbed  him  through  the  back.  It  was  all 
done  in  the  shake  of  a  leaf,  my  father ;  in  the  shake  of  a 
leaf  he  also  was  dead.  Then  I  ran,  for  I  had  no  stomach 
for  the  other  two  ;  my  valour  was  gone. 

About  a  hundred  paces  from  me  Baleka  was  staggering 
along  with  her  arms  out  like  one  who  has  drunk  too  much 
beer.  By  the  time  I  caught  her  she  was  some  forty  paces 
from  the  gate  of  the  kraal.  But  then  her  strength  left  her 
altogether.  Yes  !  there  she  fell  senseless,  and  I  stood  by 
her.  And  there,  too,  I  should  have  been  killed  had  not 
this  chanced,  since  the  other  two  men,  having  stayed  one 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOPO  AND  BA  LENA 


29 


instant  by  their  dead  fellows,  came  on  against  me  mad  with 
rage.  For  at  that  moment  the  gate  of  the  kraal  opened, 
and  through  it  ran  a  party  of  soldiers  dragging  a  prisoner 
by  the  arms.  After  them  walked  a  great  man,  who  wore  a 
leopard  skin  on  his  shoulders,  and  was  laughing,  and  with 
him  were  five  or  six  ringed  councillors,  and  after  them  again 
came  a  company  of  warriors. 

The  soldiers  saw  that  killing  was  going  on,  and  ran  up 
just  as  the  slayers  reached  us. 

“  Who  are  you  ?  ”  they  cried,  “  who  dare  to  kill  at  the 
gate  of  the  Elephant’s  kraal?  Here  the  Elephant  kills 
alone.” 

“  We  are  of  the  children  of  Makedama,”  they  answered, 

and  we  follow  these  evildoers  who  have  done  wickedness 
and  murder  in  our  kraal.  See  !  but  now  two  of  us  are  dead 
at  their  hands,  and  others  lie  dead  along  the  road.  Suffer 
that  we  slay  them.” 

“  Ask  that  of  the  Elephant,”  said  the  soldiers ;  “  ask  too 
that  he  suffer  you  should  not  be  slain.” 

Just  then  the  tall  chief  saw  blood  and  heard  words.  He 
stalked  up ;  and  he  was  a  great  man  to  look  at,  though  still 
quite  young  in  years.  For  he  was  taller  by  a  head  than  any 
round  him,  and  his  chest  was  big  as  the  chests  of  two;  his 
face  was  fierce  and  beautiful,  and  when  he  grew  angry  his 
eye  flashed  like  a  smitten  brand. 

“  Who  are  these  that  dare  to  stir  up  dust  at  the  gates  of 
my  kraal  ?  ”  he  asked,  frowning. 

“0  Chaka,  0  Elephant!”  answered  the  captain  of  the 
soldiers,  bending  himself  double  before  him,  “  the  men  say 
that  these  are  evildoers  and  that  they  pursue  them  to  kill 
them.” 

“Good!”  he  answered.  “Let  them  slay  the  evildoers.” 

“  0  great  chief  !  thanks  be  to  thee,  great  chief !  ”  said 
those  men  of  my  people  who  sought  to  kill  us. 

“  I  hear  you,”  he  answered,  then  spoke  once  more  to  the 
captain.  “  And  when  they  have  slain  the  evildoers,  let  them¬ 
selves  be  blinded  and  turned  loose  to  seek  their  way  home, 
because  they  have  dared  to  lift  a  spear  within  the  Zulu 
gates.  Now  praise  on,  my  children !  ”  And  he  laughed,  while 


30 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


the  soldiers  murmured,  “  Ou !  he  is  wise,  he  is  great,  his 
justice  is  bright  and  terrible  like  the  sun !  ” 

But  the  two  men  of  my  people  cried  out  in  fear,  for  they 
did  not  seek  such  justice  as  this. 

“  Cut  out  their  tongues  also,”  said  Chaka.  “  What  ? 
shall  the  land  of  the  Zulus  suffer  such  a  noise?  Never! 
lest  the  cattle  miscarry.  To  it,  ye  black  ones !  There  lies* 
the  girl.  She  is  asleep  and  helpless.  Kill  her !  What  \ 
you  hesitate !  Nay,  then,  if  you  will  have  time  for  thought, 
I  give  it.  Take  these  men,  smear  them  with  honey,  and 
pin  them  over  ant-heaps ;  by  to-morrow’s  sun  they  will 
know  their  own  minds.  But  first  kill  these  two  hunted 
jackals,”  and  he  pointed  to  Baleka  and  myself.  “They 
seem  tired  and  doubtless  they  long  for  sleep.” 

Then  for  the  first  time  I  spoke,  for  the  soldiers  drew  near 
to  slay  us. 

“0  Chaka,”  I  cried,  “I  am  Mopo,  and  this  is  my  sister 
Baleka.” 

I  stopped,  and  a  great  shout  of  laughter  went  up  from  all 
who  stood  round. 

“Very  well,  Mopo  and  thy  sister  Baleka,”  said  Chaka, 
grimly.  “  Good-morning  to  you,  Mopo  and  Baleka — also, 
good-night !  ” 

“  0  Chaka,”  I  broke  in,  “  I  am  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama 
of  the  Langeni  tribe.  It  was  I  who  gave  thee  a  gourd  of 
water  many  years  ago,  when  we  both  were  little.  Then 
thou  badest  me  come  to  thee  when  thou  hadst  grown  great, 
vowing  that  thou  wouldst  protect  me  and  never  do  me  harm. 
So  I  have  come,  bringing  my  sister  with  me ;  and  now,  I 
pray  thee,  do  not  eat  up  the  words  of  long  ago.” 

As  I  spoke,  Chaka’s  face  changed,  and  he  listened  ear¬ 
nestly,  as  a  man  who  holds  his  hand  behind  his  ear.  “  Those 
are  no  lies,”  he  said.  “Welcome,  Mopo!  Thou  shalt  be  a 
dog  in  my  hut,  and  feed  from  my  hand.  But  of  thy  sister 
I  said  nothing.  Why,  then,  should  she  not  be  slain  when  I 
swore  vengeance  against  all  thy  tribe,  save  thee  alone  ?  ” 

“Because  she  is  too  fair  to  slay,  0  Chief!”  I  answered, 
boldly;  “also  because  I  love  her,  and  ask  her  life  as  a 
boon !  ” 


THE  FLIGHT  OF  MOPO  AND  BALEKA 


31 


“  Turn  the  girl  over,”  said  Chaka.  And  they  did  so,  show¬ 
ing  her  face. 

“  Again  thou  speakest  no  lie,  son  of  Makedama,”  said  the 
chief.  “I  grant  thee  the  boon.  She  also  shall  lie  in  my 
hut,  and  be  of  the  number  of  my  ‘  sisters.’  Now  tell  me 
thy  tale,  speaking  only  the  truth.” 

So  I  sat  down  and  told  him  all.  Nor  did  he  grow  weary 
of  listening.  But,  when  I  had  done,  he  said  but  one  thing 
— that  he  would  that  the  dog  Koos  had  not  been  killed; 
since,  if  he  had  still  been  alive,  he  would  have  set  him  on 
the  hut  of  my  father  Makedama,  and  made  him  chief  over 
the  Langeni. 

Then  he  spoke  to  the  captain  of  the  soldiers.  “I  take 
back  my  words,”  he  said.  “  Let  not  these  men  of  the  Lan¬ 
geni  be  mutilated.  One  shall  die  and  the  other  shall  go  free. 
Here,”  and  he  pointed  to  the  man  whom  we  had  seen  led 
out  of  the  kraal-gate,  “  here,  Mopo,  we  have  a  man  who  has 
proved  himself  a  coward.  Yesterday  a  kraal  of  wizards  yon¬ 
der  was  eaten  up  by  my  order — perhaps  you  two  saw  it  as 
you  travelled.  This  man  and  three  others  attacked  a  sol¬ 
dier  of  that  kraal  who  defended  his  wife  and  children.  The 
man  fought  well — he  slew  three  of  my  people.  Then  this 
dog  was  afraid  to  meet  him  face  to  face.  He  killed  him  with 
a  throwing  assegai,  and  afterwards  he  stabbed  the  woman. 
That  is  nothing ;  but  he  should  have  fought  the  husband 
hand  to  hand.  Now  I  will  do  him  honour.  He  shall  fight 
to  the  death  with  one  of  these  pigs  from  thy  sty,”  and  he 
pointed  with  his  spear  to  the  men  of  my  fathers  kraal, 
“and  the  one  who  survives  shall  be  run  down  as  they  tried 
to  run  you  down.  I  will  send  back  the  other  pig  to  the  sty 
with  a  message.  Choose,  children  of  Makedama,  which  of 
you  will  live.” 

Now  the  two  men  of  my  tribe  were  brothers,  and  loved 
one  another,  and  each  of  them  was  willing  to  die  that  the 
other  might  go  free.  Therefore,  both  of  them  stepped  for¬ 
ward,  saying  that  they  would  fight  the  Zulu. 

“  What,  is  there  honour  among  pigs  ?  ”  said  Chaka. 
“  Then  I  will  settle  it.  See  this  assegai  ?  I  throw  it  into 
the  air ;  if  the  blade  falls  uppermost  the  tall  man  shall  go 


3  2 


NADA  THE  LILY 


free ;  if  the  shaft  falls  uppermost,  then  life  is  to  the  short 
one,  so !  ”  And  he  sent  the  little  spear  whirling  round  and 
round  in  the  air.  Every  eye  watched  it  as  it  wheeled  and 
fell.  The  haft  struck  the  ground  first. 

“Come  hither,  thou,”  said  Chaka  to  the  tall  brother. 
“  Hasten  back  to  the  kraal  of  Makedama,  and  say  to  him, 
Thus  says  Chaka,  the  Lion  of  the  Zulu-ka-Malandela  ‘  Years 
ago  thy  tribe  refused  me  milk.  To-day  the  dog  of  thy  son 
Mopo  howls  upon  the  roof  of  thy  hut.5  Begone  ! 55 1 

The  man  turned,  shook  his  brother  by  the  hand,  and 
went,  bearing  the  words  of  evil  omen. 

Then  Chaka  called  to  the  Zulu  and  the  last  of  those  who 
had  followed  us  to  kill  us,  bidding  them  fight.  So,  when 
they  had  praised  the  prince  they  fought  fiercely,  and  the 
end  of  it  was  that  the  man  of  my  people  conquered  the  Zulu. 
But  as  soon  as  he  had  found  his  breath  again  he  was  set  to 
run  for  his  life,  and  after  him  ran  five  chosen  men. 

Still,  it  came  about  that  he  outran  them,  doubling  like  a 
hare,  and  got  away  safely.  Nor  was  Chaka  angry  at  this ; 
for  I  think  that  he  bade  the  men  who  hunted  him  to  make 
speed  slowly.  There  was  only  one  good  thing  in  the  cruel 
heart  of  Chaka,  that  he  would  always  save  the  life  of  a  brave 
man  if  he  could  do  so  without  making  his  word  nothing. 
And  for  my  part,  I  was  glad  to  think  that  the  man  of  my 
people  had  conquered  him  who  murdered  the  children  of  the 
dying  woman  that  we  found  at  the  kraal  beyond  the  river. 


CHAPTEB  V. 

MOPO  BECOMES  THE  KING’S  DOCTOR. 

These,  then,  my  father,  were  the  events  that  ended  in 
the  coming  of  me,  Mopo,  and  of  my  sister  Baleka  to  the 
kraal  of  Chaka,  the  Lion  of  the  Zulu.  Now  you  may  ask 
why  have  I  kept  you  so  long  with  this  tale,  which  is  as 

1  Among  the  Zulus  it  is  a  very  had  omen  for  a  dog  to  climb  the  roof  of  a 
hut.  I  lie  saying  conveyed  a  threat  to  be  appreciated  by  every  Zulu. — Ed. 


MOPO  BECOMES  THE  KINGS  DOCTOR 


33 


are  other  tales  of  our  people.  But  that  shall  be  seen,  for 
from  these  matters,  as  a  tree  from  a  seed,  grew  the  birth 
of  Umslopogaas  Bulalio,  Umslopogaas  the  Slaughterer,  and 
Nada  the  Beautiful,  of  whose  love  my  story  has  to  tell. 
For  Nada  was  my  daughter,  and  Umslopogaas,  though  few 
knew  it,  was  none  other  than  the  son  of  Chaka,  born  of  my 
sister  Baleka. 

Now  when  Baleka  recovered  from  the  weariness  of  our 
flight,  and  had  her  beauty  again,  Chaka  took  her  to  wife, 
numbering  her  among  his  women,  whom  he  named  his 
“sisters.”  And  me  Chaka  took  to  be  one  of  his  doc¬ 
tors,  of  his  izinyanga  of  medicine,  and  he  was  so  well 
pleased  with  my  medicine  that  in  the  end  I  became  his 
head  doctor.  Now  this  was  a  great  post,  in  which,  during 
the  course  of  years,  I  grew  fat  in  cattle  and  in  wives ;  but 
also  it  was  one  of  much  danger.  For  when  I  rose  strong 
and  well  in  the  morning,  I  could  never  know  but  that  at 
night  I  should  sleep  stiff  and  red.  Many  were  the  doctors 
whom  Chaka  slew ;  doctored  they  never  so  well,  they  were 
killed  at  last.  For  a  day  would  surely  come  when  the  king 
felt  ill  in  his  body  or  heavy  in  his  mind,  and  then  to  the 
assegai  or  the  torment  with  the  wizard  who  had  doctored 
him !  Yet  I  escaped,  because  of  the  power  of  my  medicine, 
and  also  because  of  that  oath  which  Chaka  had  sworn  to 
me  as  a  child.  So  it  came  about  that  where  the  king  went 
there  I  went  with  him.  I  slept  near  his  hut,  I  sat  behind 
him  at  council,  in  the  battle  I  was  ever  at  his  side. 

Ah !  the  battle ! — the  battle  !  In  those  days  we  knew 
how  to  fight,  my  father !  In  those  days  the  vultures  would 
follow  our  impis  by  thousands,  the  hyenas  would  steal 
along  our  path  in  packs,  and  none  went  empty  away. 
Never  may  I  forget  the  first  fight  I  stood  in  at  the  side  of 
Chaka.  It  was  just  after  the  king  had  built  his  great  kraal 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  Umhlatuze.  Then  it  was  that  the 
chief  Zwide  attacked  his  rival  Chaka  for  the  third  time  and 
Chaka  moved  out  to  meet  him  with  ten  full  regiments,1 
now  for  the  first  time  armed  with  the  short  stabbing- 
spear. 

1  About  30,000  men. — Ed. 

D 


34 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


The  ground  lay  thus  :  On  a  long,  low  hill  in  front  of  our 
impi  were  massed  the  regiments  of  Zwide ;  there  were 
seventeen  of  them ;  the  earth  was  black  with  their  number ; 
their  plumes  filled  the  air  like  snow.  We,  too,  were  on  a 
hill,  and  between  us  lay  a  valley  down  which  there  ran  a 
little  stream.  All  night  our  fires  shone  out  across  the 
valley;  all  night  the  songs  of  soldiers  echoed  down  the 
hills.  Then  the  grey  dawning  came,  the  oxen  lowed  to 
the  light,  the  regiments  arose  from  their  bed  of  spears; 
they  sprang  up  and  shook  the  dew  from  hair  and  shield — 
yes  !  they  arose  !  the  glad  to  die  !  The  impi  assumed  its 
array  regiment  by  regiment.  There  was  the  breast  of 
spears,  there  were  the  horns  of  spears,  they  were  number¬ 
less  as  the  stars,  and  like  the  stars  they  shone.  The 
morning  breeze  came  up  and  fanned  them,  their  plumes 
bent  in  the  breeze ;  like  a  plain  of  seeding  grass  they  bent, 
the  plumes  of  the  soldiers  ripe  for  the  assegai.  Up  over  the 
shoulder  of  the  hill  came  the  sun  of  Slaughter ;  it  glowed 
red  upon  the  red  shields  ;  red  grew  the  place  of  killing ; 
the  white  plumes  of  chiefs  were  dipped  in  the  blood  of 
heaven.  They  knew  it ;  they  saw  the  omen  of  death,  and, 
ah !  they  laughed  in  the  joy  of  the  waking  of  battle. 

What  was  death?  Was  it  not  well  to  die  on  the  spear? 

What  was  death  ?  Was  it  not  well  to  die  for  the  king  ? 

Death  was  the,  arms  of  Victory.  Victory  should  be  their 
bride  that  night,  and  oh  !  her  breast  is  fair. 

Hark !  the  war-song,  the  Ingomo,  the  music  of  which  has 
the  power  to  drive  men  mad,  rose  far  away  to  the  left,  and 
was  thrown  along  from  regiment  to  regiment — a  rolling  ball 
of  sound — 

We  are  the  king's  kine ,  bred  to  be  butchered , 

You,  too,  are  one  of  us! 

We  are  the  Zulu ,  children  of  the  Lion , 

What!  did  you  tremble? 

Suddenly  Chaka  was  seen  stalking  through  the  ranks, 
followed  by  his  captains,  his  indunas,  and  by  me.  He 
walked  along  like  a  great  buck ;  death  was  in  his  eyes,  and 
like  a  buck  he  sniffed  the  air,  scenting  the  air  of  slaughter. 
He  lifted  his  assegai,  and  a  silence  fell;  only  the  sound  of 
chanting  still  rolled  along  the  hills. 


MOPO  BECOMES  THE  KINGS  DOCTOR 


35 


“  Where  are  the  children  of  Zwide?”  he  shouted,  and 
his  voice  was  like  the  voice  of  a  bull. 

“  Yonder,  father,”  answered  the  regiments.  And  every 
spear  pointed  across  the  valley. 

“  They  do  not  come,”  he  shouted  again.  “  Shall  we  then 
sit  here  till  we  grow  old  ?  ” 

“No,  father,”  they  answered.  “Begin!  begin!” 

“  Let  the  Umkandhlu  regiment  come  forward !  ”  he  shouted 
a  third  time,  and  as  he  spoke  the  black  shields  of  the  Um¬ 
kandhlu  leaped  from  the  ranks  of  the  impi. 

“  Go,  my  children  !  ”  cried  Chaka.  “  There  is  the  foe. 
Go  and  return  no  more  !  ” 

“We  hear  you,  father!”  they  answered  with  one  voice, 
and  moved  down  the  slope  like  a  countless  herd  of  game 
with  horns  of  steel. 

Now  they  crossed  the  stream,  and  now  Zwide  awoke.  A 
murmur  went  through  his  companies  ;  lines  of  light  played 
above  his  spears. 

On!  they  are  coming!  Ou!  they  have  met!  Hearken 
to  the  thunder  of  the  shields !  Hearken  to  the  song  of 
battle ! 

To  and  fro  they  swing.  The  Umkandhlu  gives  way — it 
dies !  They  pour  back  across  the  stream — half  of  them ; 
the  rest  are  dead.  A  howl  of  rage  goes  up  from  the  host, 
only  Chaka  smiles. 

“  Open  up  !  open  up  !  ”  he  cries.  “  Make  room  for  the 
Umkandhlu  girls!”  And  with  hanging  heads  they  pass 
behind  us. 

Now  he  whispers  a  word  to  the  indunas.  The  indunas 
run ;  they  whisper  to  Menziwa  the  general  and  to  the  cap¬ 
tains;  then  two  regiments  rush  down  the  hill,  two  more 
run  to  the  right,  and  yet  another  two  to  the  left.  But 
Chaka  stays  on  the  hill  with  the  three  that  are  left.  Again 
comes  the  roar  of  the  meeting  shields.  Ah!  these  are  men*, 
they  fight,  they  do  not  run.  Begiment  after  regiment  pours 
upon  them,  but  still  they  stand.  They  fall  by  hundreds 
and  by  thousands,  but  no  man  shows  his  back,  and  on  each 
man  there  lie  two  dead.  Wow!  my  father,  of  those  two 
regiments  not  one  escaped.  They  were  but  boys,  but  they 

d  2 


36 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


were  the  children  of  Chaka.  Menziwa  was  buried  beneath 
the  heaps  of  his  warriors.  Now  there  are  no  such  men. 

They  are  all  dead  and  quiet.  Chaka  still  holds  his  hand ! 
He  looks  to  the  north  and  to  the  south.  See  !  spears  are 
shining  among  the  trees.  Now  the  horns  of  our  host  close 
upon  the  flanks  of  the  foe.  They  slay  and  are  slain,  but 
the  men  of  Zwide  are  many  and  brave,  and  the  battle  turns 
against  us. 

Then  again  Chaka  speaks  a  word.  The  captains  hear,  the 
soldiers  stretch  out  their  necks  to  listen. 

It  has  come  at  last.  “  Charge!  Children  of  the  Zulu!” 

There  is  a  roar,  a  thunder  of  feet,  a  flashing  of  spears,  a 
bending  of  plumes,  and,  like  a  river  that  has  burst  its  banks, 
like  storm-clouds  before  the  gale,  we  sweep  down  upon  friend 
and  foe.  They  form  up  to  meet  us  ;  the  stream  is  passed ; 
our  wounded  rise  upon  their  haunches  and  wave  us  on.  We 
trample  them  down.  What  matter?  They  can  fight  no 
more.  Then  we  meet  Zwide  rushing  to  greet  us,  as  bull 
meets  bull.  Ou !  my  father,  I  know  no  more.  Everything 
grows  red.  That  fight !  that  fight !  We  swept  them  away. 
When  it  was  done  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen,  but  the 
hillside  was  black  and  red.  Eew  fled;  few  were  left  to  fly. 
We  passed  over  them  like  fire ;  we  ate  them  up.  Presently 
we  paused,  looking  for  the  foe.  All  were  dead.  The  host 
of  Zwide  was  no  more.  Then  we  mustered.  Ten  regiments 
had  looked  upon  the  morning  sun ;  three  regiments  saw  the 
sun  sink ;  the  rest  had  gone  where  no  suns  shine. 

Such  were  our  battles  in  the  days  of  Chaka ! 

You  ask  of  the  Umkandhlu  regiment  which  fled.  I  will 
tell  you.  When  we  reached  our  kraal  once  more,  Chaka 
summoned  that  regiment  and  mustered  it.  He  spoke  to 
them  gently,  gently.  He  thanked  them  for  their  service. 
He  said  it  was  natural  that  “  girls  ”  should  faint  at  the  sight 
of  blood  and  turn  to  seek  their  kraals.  Yet  he  had  bid 
them  come  back  no  more  and  they  had  come  back !  What 
then  was  there  now  left  for  him  to  do  ?  And  he  covered 
his  face  with  his  blanket.  Then  the  soldiers  killed  them 
all,  nearly  two  thousand  of  them — killed  them  with  taunts 
and  jeers. 


THE  BIRTH  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


37 


That  is  how  we  dealt  with  cowards  in  those  days,  my 
father.  After  that,  one  Zulu  was  a  match  for  five  of  any 
other  tribe.  If  ten  came  against  him,  still  he  did  not  turn 
his  back.  “  Fight  and  fall,  but  fly  not,’7  that  was  our 
watchword.  Never  again  while  Chaka  lived  did  a  con¬ 
quered  force  pass  the  gates  of  the  king’s  kraal. 

That  fight  was  but  one  war  out  of  many.  With  every 
moon  a  fresh  impi  started  to  wash  its  spears,  and  came 
back  few  and  thin,  but  with  victory  and  countless  cattle. 
Tribe  after  tribe  went  down  before  us.  Those  of  them 
who  escaped  the  assegai  were  enrolled  into  fresh  regiments, 
and  thus,  though  men  died  by  thousands  every  month,  yet 
the  army  grew.  Soon  there  were  no  other  chiefs  left.  Um- 
suduka  fell,  and  after  him  Mancengeza.  Umzilikazi  was 
driven  north ;  Matiwane  was  stamped  flat.  Then  we  poured 
into  this  land  of  Natal.  When  we  entered,  its  people  could 
not  be  numbered.  When  we  left,  here  and  there  a  man 
might  be  found  hidden  in  a  hole  in  the  earth — that  was  all. 
Men,  women,  and  children,  we  wiped  them  out :  the  land 
was  clean  of  them.  Next  came  the  turn  of  U’Faku,  chief 
of  the  Amapondos.  Ah  !  where  is  U’Faku  now  ? 

And  so  it  went  on  and  on,  till  even  the  Zulus  were  weary 
of  war  and  the  sharpest  assegais  grew  blunt. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  BIRTH  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS. 

This  was  the  rule  of  the  life  of  Chaka,  that  he  would 
have  no  children,  though  he  had  many  wives.  Every  child 
born  to  him  by  his  “  sisters  ”  was  put  away  at  once. 

“What,  Mopo,”  he  said  to  me,  “shall  I  rear  up  children 
to  put  me  to  the  assegai  when  they  grow  great  ?  They 
call  me  tyrant.  Say,  how  do  those  chiefs  die  whom  men 
name  tyrants  ?  They  die  at  the  hands  of  those  whom  they 
have  bred.  Nay,  Mopo,  I  will  rule  for  my  life,  and  when  I 
join  the  spirits  of  my  fathers  let  the  strongest  take  my 
power  and  my  place  !  ” 


38 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  it  chanced  that  shortly  after  Chaka  had  spoken 
thus,  my  sister  Baleka,  the  king’s  wife,  fell  in  labour ;  and 
on  that  same  day  my  wife  Macropha  was  brought  to  bed  of 
twins,  and  this  but  eight  days  after  my  second  wife,  Anadi, 
had  given  birth  to  a  son.  You  ask,  my  father,  how  I  came 
to  be  married,  seeing  that  Chaka  forbade  marriage  to 
all  his  soldiers  till  they  were  in  middle  life  and  had  put 
the  man’s  ring  upon  their  heads.  It  was  a  boon  he  granted 
me  as  inyanga  of  medicine,  saying  it  was  well  that  a  doctor 
should  know  the  sicknesses  of  women  and  learn  how  to 
cure  their  evil  tempers.  As  though,  my  father,  that  were 
possible ! 

When  the  king  heard  that  Baleka  was  sick  he  did  not  kill 
her  outright,  because  he  loved  her  a  little,  but  he  sent  for 
me,  commanding  me  to  attend  her,  and  when  the  child 
was  born  to  cause  its  body  to  be  brought  to  him,  according 
to  custom,  so  that  he  might  be  sure  that  it  was  dead.  I 
bent  to  the  earth  before  him,  and  went  to  do  his  bidding 
with  a  heavy  heart,  for  was  not  Baleka  my  sister  ?  and 
would  not  her  child  be  of  my  own  blood  ?  Still,  it  must  be 
so,  for  Chaka’s  whisper  was  as  the  shout  of  other  kings, 
and,  if  we  dared  to  disobey,  then  our  lives  and  the  lives 
of  all  in  our  kraal  would  answer  for  it.  Better  that  an  in¬ 
fant  should  die  than  that  we  should  become  food  for  jackals. 
Presently  I  came  to  the  Emposeni,  the  place  of  the  king’s 
wives,  and  declared  the  king’s  word  to  the  soldiers  on  guard. 
They  lowered  their  assegais  and  let  me  pass,  and  I  entered 
the  hut  of  Baleka.  In  it  were  others  of  the  king’s  wives, 
but  when  they  saw  me  they  rose  and  went  away,  for  it  was 
not  lawful  that  they  should  stay  where  I  was.  Thus  I  was 
left  alone  with  my  sister. 

Por  awhile  she  lay  silent  and  I  did  not  speak,  though  I 
saw  by  the  heaving  of  her  breast  that  she  was  weeping. 

“  Hush,  little  one  !  ”  I  said  at  length ;  “  your  sorrow  will 
soon  he  done.” 

“Nay,”  she  answered,  lifting  her  head,  “it  will  be  but 
begun.  Oh,  cruel  man  !  I  know  the  reason  of  your  coming. 
Yrou  come  co  murder  the  babe  that  shall  be  born  of  me.” 

“It  is  ilie  king’s  word,  woman.” 


THE  BIRTH  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


39 


“  It  is  the  king’s  word,  and  what  is  the  king’s  wcrd  ? 
Have  I,  then,  naught  to  say  in  this  matter  ?  ” 

“  It  is  the  king’s  child,  woman.” 

“It  is  the  king’s  child,  and  is  it  not  also  my  child? 
Must  my  babe  be  dragged  from  my  breast  and  be  stran¬ 
gled,  and  by  you,  Mopo  ?  Have  I  not  loved. you,  Mopo  ? 
Hid  I  not  flee  with  you  from  our  people  and  the  ven¬ 
geance  of  our  father  ?  Ho  you  know  that  not  two  moons 
gone  the  king  was  wroth  with  you  because  he  fell  sick, 
and  would  have  caused  you  to  be  slain  had  I  not  pleaded 
for  you  and  called  his  oath  to  mind  ?  And  thus  you  pay 
me :  you  come  to  kill  my  child,  my  first-born  child  !  ” 

“  It  is  the  king’s  word,  woman,”  I  answered  sternly ;  but 
my  heart  was  split  in  two  within  me. 

Then  Baleka  said  no  more,  but,  turning  her  face  to  the 
wall  of  the  hut,  she  wept  and  groaned  bitterly. 

Now,  as  she  wept  I  heard  a  stir  without  the  hut,  and  the 
light  in  the  doorway  was  darkened.  A  woman  entered 
alone.  I  looked  round  to  see  who  it  was,  then  fell  upon  the 
ground  in  salutation,  for  before  me  was  Unandi,  mother  of 
the  king,  who  was  named  “  Mother  of  the  Heavens,”  that 
same  lady  to  whom  my  mother  had  refused  the  milk. 

“  Hail,  Mother  of  the  Heavens  !  ”  I  said. 

“  Greeting,  Mopo,”  she  answered.  “  Say,  why  does  Baleka 
weep  ?  Is  it  because  the  sorrow  of  women  is  upon  her  ?  ” 

“Ask  of  her,  great  chieftainess,”  I  said. 

Then  Baleka  spoke  :  “  I  weep,  mother  of  a  king,  because 
this  man,  who  is  my  brother,  has  come  from  him  who  is  my 
lord  and  thy  son,  to  murder  that  which  shall  be  born  of  me. 
0  thou  whose  breasts  have  given  suck,  plead  for  me !  Thy 
son  was  not  slain  at  birth.” 

“Perhaps  it  were  well  if  he  had  been  so  slain,  Baleka,” 
said  Unandi;  “then  had  many  another  man  lived  to  look 
upon  the  sun  who  is  now  dead.” 

“  At  the  least,  as  an  infant  he  was  good  and  gentle,  and 
thou  mightest  love  him,  Mother  of  the  Zulu.” 

“Never,  Baleka!  As  a  babe  he  bit  my  breast  and  tore 
my  hair ;  as  the  man  is  so  was  the  babe.” 

“  Yet  may  his  child  be  otherwise,  Mother  of  the  Heavens  ! 


40 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Think,  thou  hast  no  grandson  to  comfort  thee  in  thy  age. 
Wilt  thou,  then,  see  all  thy  stock  wither  ?  The  king,  our 
lord,  lives  in  war.  He  too  may  die,  and  what  then  ?  ” 

“  Then  the  root  of  Senzangacona  is  still  green.  Has  the 
king  no  brothers  ?  ” 

“  They  are  not  of  thy  flesh,  mother.  What  ?  thou  dost 
not  hearken !  Then  as  a  woman  to  woman  I  plead  with 
thee.  Save  my  child  or  slay  me  with  my  child  !  ” 

Now  the  heart  of  Unandi  grew  gentle,  and  she  was  moved 
to  tears. 

“  How  may  this  be  done,  Mopo  ?  ”  she  said.  “  The  king 
must  see  the  dead  infant,  and  if  he  suspect,  and  even  reeds 
have  ears,  you  know  the  heart  of  Chaka  and  where  we  shall 
lie  to-morrow.” 

“  Are  there  then  no  other  new-born  babes  in  Zululand  ?  ” 
said  Baleka,  sitting  up  and  speaking  in  a  whisper  like  the 
hiss  of  a  snake.  “  Listen,  Mopo  !  Is  not  your  wife  also  in 
labour  ?  Now  hear  me,  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  and,  my 
brother,  hear  me  also.  Do  not  think  to  play  with  me  in 
this  matter.  I  will  save  my  child  or  you  twain  shall  perish 
with  it.  For  I  will  tell  the  king  that  you  came  to  me,  the 
two  of  you,  and  whispered  plots  into  my  ear — plots  to  save 
the  child  and  kill  the  king.  Now  choose,  and  swiftly !  ” 

She  sank  back,  there  was  silence,  and  we  looked  one  upon 
another.  Then  TJnandi  spoke. 

“  Give  me  your  hand,  Mopo,  and  swear  that  you  will  be 
faithful  to  me  in  this  secret,  as  I  swear  to  you.  A  day 
may  come  when  this  child  who  has  not  seen  the  light  rules 
as  king  in  Zululand,  and  then  in  reward  you  shall  be  the 
greatest  of  the  people,  the  king’s  voice,  whisperer  in  the 
king’s  ear.  But  if  you  break  your  oath,  then  beware,  for  I 
will  not  die  alone  !  ” 

“  I  swear,  Mother  of  the  Heavens,”  I  answered. 

“It  is  well,  son  of  Makedama.” 

“It  is  well,  my  brother,”  said  Baleka.  “Now  go  and  do 
that  which  must  be  done  swiftly,  for  my  sorrow  is  upon 
me.  Go,  knowing  that  if  you  fail  I  will  be  pitiless,  for  I 
will  bring  you  to  your  death,  yes,  even  if  my  own  death 
is  the  price !” 


THE  BIRTH  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS  41 

So  I  went.  “  Whither  do  you  go  ?  ”  asked  the  guard  at 
the  gate. 

«I  go  to  bring  my  medicines,  men  of  the  king/’  I 

answered.  ' 

So  I  said ;  but,  oh  !  my  heart  was  heavy,  and  this  was 
my  plan — to  fly  far  from  Zululand.  I  could  not,  and  I 
dared  not  do  this  thing.  What?  should  I  kill  my  own 
child  that  its  life  might  be  given  for  the  life  of  the  babe 
of  Baleka  ?  And  should  I  lift  up  my  will  against  the  will 
of  the  king,  saving  the  child  to  look  upon  the  sun  which  he 
had  doomed  to  darkness  ?  Nay,  I  would  fly,  leaving  all,  and 
seek  out  some  far  tribe  where  I  might  begin  to  live  again. 
Here  I  could  not  live ;  here  in  the  shadow  of  Chaka  was 
nothing  but  death. 

I  reached  my  own  huts,  there  to  find  that  my  wife 
Macropha  was  delivered  of  twins.  I  sent  away  all  in  the 
hut  except  my  other  wife,  Anadi,  she  who  eight  days  gone 
had  borne  me  a  son.  The  second  of  the  twins  was  born; 
it  was  a  boy,  born  dead.  The  first  was  a  girl,  she  who  lived 
to  be  Nada  the  Beautiful,  Nada  the  Lily.  Then  a  thought 
came  into  my  heart.  Here  was  a  path  to  run  on. 

u  Give  me  the  boy,”  I  said  to  Anadi.  u  He  is  not  dead. 
Give  him  to  me  that  I  may  take  him  outside  the  kraal 
and  wake  him  to  life  by  my  medicine.” 

il  It  is  of  no  use — the  child  is  dead,”  said  Anadi. 

“  Give  him  to  me,  woman  !  ”  I  said  fiercely.  And  she 
gave  me  the  body. 

Then  I  took  him  and  wrapped  him  up  in  my  bundle  of 
medicines,  and  outside  of  all  I  rolled  a  mat  of  plaited  grass. 

“ Suffer  none  to  enter  the  hut  till  I  return,”  I  said; 
a  and  speak  no  word  of  the  child  that  seems  to  be  dead. 
If  you  allow  any  to  enter,  or  if  you  speak  a  word,  then  my 
medicine  will  not  work  and  the  babe  will  be  dead  indeed. 

So  I  went,  leaving  the  women  wondering,  for  it  is  not 
our  custom  to  save  both  when  twins  are  born  ;  but  I  lan 
swiftly  to  the  gates  of  the  Efiiposcni. 

“  I  bring  the  medicines,  men  of  the  king !  ”  I  said  to  the 

guards. 

“  Pass  in,”  they  answered. 


t 


42 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


I  passed  through  the  gates  and  into  the  hut  of  Baleka. 
Unandi  was  alone  in  the  hut  with  my  sister. 

“  The  child  is  born,”  said  the  mother  of  the  king.  “  Look 
at  him,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama  !  ” 

I  looked.  He  was  a  great  child  with  large  black  eyes 
like  the  eyes  of  Chaka  the  king;  and  Unandi,  too,  looked 
at  me.  “  Where  is  it  ?  ”  she  whispered. 

I  loosed  the  mat  and  drew  the  dead  child  from  the  medi¬ 
cines,  glancing  round  fearfully  as  I  did  so. 

“  Give  me  the  living  babe,”  I  whispered  back. 

They  gave  it  to  me  and  I  took  of  a  drug  that  I  knew  and 
rubbed  it  on  the  tongue  of  the  child.  Now  this  drug  has 
the  power  to  make  the  tongue  it  touches  dumb  for  awhile. 
Then  I  wrapped  up  the  child  in  my  medicines  and  again 
bound  the  mat  about  the  bundle.  But  round  the  throat  of 
the  still-born  babe  I  tied  a  string  of  fibre  as  though  I  had 
strangled  it,  and  wrapped  it  loosely  in  a  piece  of  matting. 

Now  for  the  first  time  I  spoke  to  Baleka:  “  Woman,”  I 
said,  “and  thou  also,  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  I  have  done 
your  wish,  but  know  that  before  all  is  finished  this  deed 
shall  bring  about  the  death  of  many.  Be  secret  as  the 
grave,  for  the  grave  yawns  for  you  both.” 

I  went  again,  bearing  the  mat  containing  the  dead  child 
in  my  right  hand.  But  the  bundle  of  medicines  that  held 
the  living  one  I  fastened  across  my  shoulders.  I  passed 
out  of  the  Emposeni,  and,  as  I  went,  I  held  up  the  bundle 
in  my  right  hand  to  the  guards,  showing  them  that  which 
was  in  it,  but  saying  nothing. 

“  It  is  good,”  they  said,  nodding. 

But  now  ill-fortune  found  me,  for  just  outside  the  Em¬ 
poseni  I  met  three  of  the  king’s  messengers. 

“  Greeting,  son  of  Makedama !  ”  they  said.  “  The  king 
summons  you  to  the  Intunkulu  ” — that  is  the  royal  house, 
my  father. 

“  Good !  ”  I  answered.  “  I  will  come  now  ;  but  first  I 
would  run  to  my  own  place  to  see  how  it  goes  with  Macro- 
pha,  my  wife.  Here  is  that  which  the  king  seeks,”  and  I 
showed  them  the  dead  child.  “Take  it  to  him  if  you 
will.” 


THE  B/RTH  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


43 


“  That  is  not  the  king’s  command,  Mopo,”  they  answered. 
“  His  word  is  that  you  should  stand  before  him  at  once.” 

How  my  heart  turned  to  water  in  my  breast.  Kings 
have  many  ears.  Could  he  have  heard?  And  how  dared 
I  go  before  the  Lion  bearing  his  living  child  hidden  on  my 
back  ?  Yet  to  waver  was  to  be  lost,  to  show  fear  was  to  be 
lost,  to  disobey  was  to  be  lost. 

“  Good !  I  come,”  I  answered.  And  we  walked  to  the 
gate  of  the  Intunkulu. 

It  was  sundown.  Chaka  was  sitting  in  the  little  court¬ 
yard  in  front  of  his  hut.  I  went  down  on  my  knees  before 
him  and  gave  the  royal  salute,  Bayete,  and  so  I  stayed. 

“  Rise,  son  of  Makedama !  ”  he  said. 

“I  cannot  rise,  Lion  of  the  Zulu,”  I  answered.  “I  can¬ 
not  rise,  having  royal  blood  on  my  hands,  till  the  king  has 
pardoned  me.” 

“  Where  is  it  ?  ”  he  asked. 

I  pointed  to  the  mat  in  my  hand. 

“  Let  me  look  at  it.”  * 

Then  I  undid  the  mat,  and  he  looked  on  the  child,  and 
laughed  aloud. 

“He  might  have  been  a  king,”  he  said,  as  he  bade  a 
councillor  take  it  away.  “  Mopo,  thou  hast  slain  one  who 
might  have  been  a  king.  Art  thou  not  afraid  ?  ” 

“Ho,  Black  One,”  I  answered,  “the  child  is  killed  by 
order  of  one  who  is  a  king.” 

“  Sit  down,  and  let  us  talk,”  said  Chaka,  for  his  mood  was 
idle.  “  To-morrow  thou  shaft  have  five  oxen  for  this  deed ; 
thou  shalt  choose  them  from  the  royal  herd.” 

“The  king  is  good  ;  he  sees  that  my  belt  is  drawn  tight;  . 
he  satisfies  my  hunger.  Will  the  king  suffer  that  I  go  ? 
My  wife  is  in  labour  and  I  would  visit  her.” 

“Hay,  stay  awhile;  say  how  is  it  with  Baleka,  my  sister 
and  thine  ?  ” 

“It  is  well.” 

“  Did  she  weep  when  you  took  the  babe  from  her  ?  ” 

“  Hay,  she  wept  not.  She  said,  ‘My  lord’s  will  is  my  will.’  ” 

“  Good  !  Had  she  wept  she  had  been  slain  also.  Who 
was  with  her  ?  ” 


44 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“The  Mother  of  the  Heavens.” 

The  brow  of  Chaka  darkened.  “Unandi,  ray  mother, 
what  did  she  there  ?  By  myself  I  swear,  though  she  is  my 
mother — if  I  thought  ” — and  he  ceased. 

There  was  a  silence,  then  he  spoke  again.  “  Say,  what  is 
in  that  mat  ?  ”  and  he  pointed  with  his  little  assegai  at  the 
bundle  on  my  shoulders. 

“  Medicine,  king.” 

“Thou  dost  carry  enough  to  doctor  an  impi.  Undo  the 
mat  and  let  me  look  at  it.” 

Now,  my  father,  I  tell  you  that  the  marrow  melted  in  my 
bones  with  terror,  for  if  I  undid  the  mat  I  feared  he  must 
see  the  child  and  then - 

“  It  is  tagati,  it  is  bewitched,  0  king.  It  is  not  wise  to 
look  on  medicine.” 

“  Open !  ”  he  answered  angrily.  “  What  ?  may  I  not  look 
at  that  which  I  am  forced  to  swallow — I,  who  am  the  first 
of  doctors  ?  ” 

“Death  is  the  king’s  medicine,”  I  answered,  lifting  the 
bundle,  and  laying  it  as  far  from  him  in  the  shadow  of  the 
fence  as  I  dared.  Then  I  bent  over  it,  slowly  undoing 
the  rimpis  with  which  it  was  tied,  while  the  sweat  of  terror 
ran  down  my  face  blinding  me  like  tears.  What  should  I 
do  if  he  saw  the  child?  What  if  the  child  awoke  and 
cried  ?  I  would  snatch  the  assegai  from  his  hand  and  stab 
him  !  Yes,  I  would  kill  the  king  and  then  kill  myself ! 
Now  the  mat  was  unrolled.  Inside  were  the  brown  leaves 
and  roots  of  medicine;  beneath  them  was  the  senseless 
babe  wrapped  in  dead  moss. 

“Ugly  stuff,”  said  the  king,  taking  snuff.  “Now  see, 
Mopo,  what  a  good  aim  I  have  !  This  for  thy  medicine  !  ” 
And  he  lifted  his  assegai  to  throw  it  through  the  bundle. 
But  as  he  threw,  my  snake  put  it  into  the  king’s  heart  to 
sneeze,  and  thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  assegai  onty  pierced 
the  outer  leaves  of  the  medicine,  and  did  not  touch  the 
child. 

“  May  the  heavens  bless  the  king !  ”  I  said,  according  to 
custom. 

“Thanks  to  thee,  Mopo,  it  is  a  good  omen,”  he  answered. 


‘  I  did  up  the  bundle  fast— fast.’ 


THE  BIRTH  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


45 


“  And  now  begone  !  Take  my  advice  :  kill  thy  children,  as 
I  kill  mine,  lest  they  live  to  worry  thee.  The  whelps  of 
lions  are  best  drowned.” 

I  did  up  the  bundle  fast — fast,  though  my  hands 
trembled.  Oh  !  what  if  the  child  should  wake  and  cry.  It 
was  done;  I  rose  and  saluted  the  king.  Then  I  doubled 
myself  up  and  passed  from  before  him.  Scarcely  was  I  out¬ 
side  the  gates  of  the  Intunkulu  when  the  infant  began  to 
squeak  in  the  bundle.  If  it  had  been  one  minute  before  ! 

“What,”  said  a  soldier,  as  I  passed,  “have  you  got  a 
puppy  hidden  under  your  moocha,1  Mopo  ?  ” 

I  made  no  answer,  but  hurried  on  till  I  came  to  my  huts. 
I  entered ;  there  were  my  two  wives  alone. 

“  I  have  recovered  the  child,  women,”  I  said,  as  I  undid 
the  bundle. 

Anadi  took  him  and  looked  at  him. 

“  The  boy  seems  bigger  than  he  was,”  she  said. 

“The  breath  of  life  has  come  into  him  and  puffed  him 
out,”  I  answered. 

“His  eyes  are  not  as  his  eyes  were,”  she  said  again. 
“Now  they  are  big  and  black,  like  the  eyes  of  the  king.” 

“  My  spirit  looked  upon  his  eyes  and  made  them  beauti¬ 
ful,”  I  answered. 

“This  child  has  a  birth-mark  on  his  thigh,”  she  said  a 
third  time.  “  That  which  I  gave  you  had  no  mark.” 

“I  laid  my  medicine  there,”  I  answered. 

“It  is  not  the  same  child,”  she  said  sullenly.  “It  is  a 
changeling  who  will  lay  ill-luck  at  our  doors.” 

Then  I  rose  up  in  my  rage  and  cursed  her  heavily,  for  I 
saw  that  if  she  was  not  stopped  this  woman’s  tongue  would 
bring  us  all  to  ruin. 

“  Peace,  witch  !  ”  I  cried.  “  How  dare  you  to  speak  thus 
from  a  lying  heart  ?  Do  you  wish  to  draw  down  a  curse 
upon  our  roof  ?  Would  you  make  us  all  food  for  the  king’s 
spear  ?  Say  such  words  again,  and  you  shall  sit  within  the 
circle — the  Ingomboco  shall  know  you  for  a  witch  !  ” 

So  I  stormed  on,  threatening  to  bring  her  to  death,  till  at 


1  Girdle  composed  of  skin  and  tails  of  oxen.— Ed. 


46 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


length  she  grew  fearful,  and  fell  at  my  feet  praying  for 
mercy  and  forgiveness.  But  I  was  much  afraid  because 
of  this  woman’s  tongue,  and  not  without  reason. 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

* 

UMSLOPOGAAS  ANSWERS  THE  KING. 

Now  the  years  went  on,  and  this  matter  slept.  Nothing 
more  was  heard  of  it,  but  still  it  only  slept ;  and,  my  father, 
I  feared  greatly  for  the  hour  when  it  should  awake.  For 
the  secret  was  known  by  two  women — Unandi,  Mother  of 
the  Heavens,  and  Baleka,  my  sister,  wife  of  the  king ;  and 
by  two  more — Macropha  and  Anadi,  my  wives — it  was 
guessed  at.  How,  then,  should  it  remain  a  secret  forever  ? 
Moreover,  it  came  about  that  Unandi  and  Baleka  could 
not  restrain  their  fondness  for  this  child  who  was  called 
my  son  and  named  Umslopogaas,  but  who  was  the  son  of 
Chaka,  the  king,  and  of  Baleka,  and  the  grandson  of  Unandi. 
So  it  happened  that  very  often  one  or  the  other  of  them 
would  come  into  my  hut,  making  pretence  to  visit  my  wives, 
and  take  the  boy  upon  her  lap  and  fondle  it.  In  vain  did  I 
pray  them  to  forbear.  Love  pulled  at  their  heartstrings 
more  heavily  than  my  words,  and  still  they  came.  This 
was  the  end  of  it — that  Chaka  saw  the  child  sitting  on  the 
knee  of  Unandi,  his  mother. 

“What  does  my  mother  with  that  brat  of  thine,  Mopo?” 
he  asked  of  me.  “  Cannot  she  kiss  me,  if  she  will  find  a 
child  to  kiss  ?”  And  he  laughed  like  a  wolf. 

I  said  that  I  did  not  know,  and  the  matter  passed  over 
for  awhile.  But  after  that  Chaka  caused  his  mother  to 
be  watched.  Now  the  boy  Umslopogaas  grew  great  and 
strong ;  there  was  no  such  lad  of  his  years  for  a  day’s 
journey  round.  But  from  a  babe  he  was  somewhat  surly, 
of  few  words,  and  like  his  father,  Chaka,  afraid  of  nothing. 
In  all  the  world  there  were  but  two  people  whom  he  loved 
— these  were  I,  Mopo,  who  was  called  his  father,  and  Nada, 
she  who  was  said  to  be  his  twin  sister. 


UMSLOPOGAAS  ANSWERS  THE  KING 


47 


Now  it  must  be  told  of  Nada  that  as  the  boy  Umslopogaas 
was  the  strongest  and  bravest  of  children,  so  the  girl  Nada 
was  the  gentlest  and  the  most  fair.  Of  a  truth,  my  father, 

I  believe  that  her  blood  was  not  all  Zulu,  though  this  I  can¬ 
not  say  for  certain.  At  the  least,  her  eyes  were  softer  and 
larger  than  those  of  our  people,  her  hair  longer  and  less 
tightly  curled,  and  her  skin  was  lighter — more  of  the  colour 
of  pure  copper.  These  things  she  had  from  her  mother, 
Macropha;  though  she  was  fairer  than  Macropha — fairer, 
indeed,  than  any  woman  of  my  people  whom  I  have  seen. 
Her  mother,  Macropha,  my  wife,  was  of  Swazi  blood,  and 
was  brought  to  the  king’s  kraal  with  other  captives  after  a 
raid,  and  given  to  me  as  a  wife  by  the  king.  It  was  said . 
that  she  was  the  daughter  of  a  Swazi  headman  of  the  tribe 
of  the  Halakazi,  and  that  she  was  born  of  his  wifo  is  true, 
but  whether  he  was  her  father  I  do  not  know ;  for  I  have 
heard  from  the  lips  of  Macropha  herself,  that  before  she 
was  born  there  was  a  white  man  staying  at  her  father’s 
kraal.  He  was  a  Portuguese  from  the  coast,  a  handsome 
man,  and  skilled  in  the  working  of  iron.  This  white  man 
loved  the  mother  of  my  wife,  Macropha,  and  some  held 
that  Macropha  was  his  daughter,  and  not  that  of  the  Swazi 
headman.  At  least  I  know  this,  that  before  my  wife’s  birth 
the  Swazi  killed  the  white  man.  But  none  can  tell  the  truth 
of  these  matters,  and  I  only  speak  of  them  because  the 
beauty  of  Nada  was  rather  as  is  the  beauty  of  the  white 
people  than  of  ours,  and  this  might  well  happen  if  her 
grandfather  chanced  to  be  a  white  man. 

Now  Umslopogaas  and  Nada  were  always  together. 
Together  they  ate,  together  they  slept  and  wandered ;  they 
thought  one  thought  and  spoke  with  one  tongue.  Ou !  it 
was  pretty  to  see  them  !  Twice  while  they  were  children 
did  Umslopogaas  save  the  life  of  Nada. 

The  first  time  it  came  about  thus.  The  two  children  had 
wandered  far  from  the  kraal,  seeking  certain  berries  that 
little  ones  love.  On  they  wandered  and  on,  singing  as  they 
went,  till  at  length  they  found  the  berries,  and  ate  heartily. 
Then  it  was  near  sundown,  and  when  they  had  eaten  they 
Hell  asleep.  In  the  night  they  woke  to  find  a  great  wind 


48 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


blowing  and  a  cold  rain  falling  on  them,  for  it  was  the 
beginning  of  winter,  when  fruits  are  ripe. 

“  Up,  ISTada !  ”  said  Umslopogaas,  “  we  must  seek  the 
kraal  or  the  cold  will  kill  us.” 

So  Nada  rose,  frightened,  and  hand  in  hand  they  stumbled 
through  the  darkness.  But  in  the  wind  and  the  night  they 
lost  their  path,  and  when  at  length  the  dawn  came  they  were 
in  a  forest  that  was  strange  to  them.  They  rested  awhile, 
and  finding  berries  ate  them,  then  walked  again.  All  that 
day  they  wandered,  till  at  last  the  night  came  down,  and 
they  plucked  branches  of  trees  and  piled  the  branches  over 
them  for  warmth,  and  they  were  so  weary  that  they  fell 
asleep  in  each  other’s  arms.  At  dawn  they  rose,  but  now 
they  were  very  tired  and  berries  were  few,  so  that  by  mid¬ 
day  they  were  spent.  Then  they  lay  down  on  the  side  of 
a  steep  hill,  and  Nada  laid  her  head  upon  the  breast  of 
Umslopogaas. 

“  Here  let  us  die,  my  brother,”  she  said. 

But  even  then  the  boy  had  a  great  spirit,  and  he  answered, 
“  Time  to  die,  sister,  when  Death  chooses  us.  See,  now  ! 
Do  you  rest  here,  and  I  will  climb  the  hill  and  look  across 
the  forest.” 

So  he  left  her  and  climbed  the  hill,  and  on  its  side  he 
found  many  berries  and  a  root  that  is  good  for  food,  and 
filled  himself  with  them.  At  length  he  came  to  the  crest  of 
the  hill  and  looked  out  across  the  sea  of  green.  Lo  !  there, 
far  away  to  the  east,  he  saw  a  line  of  white  that  lay  like 
smoke  against  the  black  surface  of  a  cliff,  and  knew  it  for 
the  waterfall  beyond  the  royal  town.  Then  he  came  down 
the  hill,  shouting  for  joy  and  bearing  roots  and  berries  in 
his  hand.  But  when  he  reached  the  spot  where  ISTada  was, 
he  found  that  her  senses  had  left  her  through  hunger,  cold, 
and  weariness.  She  lay  upon  the  ground  like  one  asleep, 
and  over  her  stood  a  jackal  that  fled  as  he  drew  nigh.  Now 
it  would  seem  that  there  were  but  two  shoots  to  the  stick 
of  Umslopogaas.  One  was  to  save  himself,  and  the  other 
to  lie  down  and  die  by  Nada.  Yet  he  found  a  third,  for, 
undoing  the  strips  of  his  moocha,  he  made  ropes  of  them,  and 
with  the  ropes  he  bound  Nada  upon  his  back  and  started 


‘  I  swear  it  O  king  !  I  swear  it  by  thy  head.’ 


. 


,  . 


* 


■ 


UMSLOPOGAAS  ANSWERS  THE  KING 


49 


for  the  king’s  kraal.  He  could  never  have  reached  it,  for 
the  way  was  long,  yet  at  evening  some  messengers  running 
through  the  forest  came  upon  a  naked  lad  with  a  girl  bound 
to  his  back  and  a  staff  in  his  hand,  who  staggered  along 
slowly  with  starting  eyes  and  foam  upon  his  lips.  He  could 
not  speak,  he  was  so  weary,  and  the  ropes  had  cut  through  the 
skin  of  his  shoulders ;  yet  one  of  the  messengers  knew  him 
for  Umslopogaas,  the  son  of  Mopo,  and  they  bore  him  to 
the  kraal.  They  would  have  left  the  girl  Nada,  thinking 
her  dead,  but  he  pointed  to  her  breast,  and,  feeling  it,  they 
found  that  her  heart  still  beat,  so  they  brought  her  also ; 
and  the  end  of  it  was  that  both  recovered  and  loved  each 
other  more  than  ever  before. 

Now  after  this,  I,  Mopo,  bade  Umslopogaas  stay  at  home 
within  the  kraal,  and  not  lead  his  sister  to  the  wilds.  But 
the  boy  loved  roaming  like  a  fox,  and  where  he  went  there 
Nada  followed.  So  it  came  about  that  one  day  they  slipped 
from  the  kraal  when  the  gates  were  open,  and  sought  out  a 
certain  deep  glen  which  had  an  evil  name,  for  it  was  said 
that  spirits  haunted  it  and  put  those  to  death  who  entered 
there.  Whether  this  was  true  I  do  not  know,  but  I  know 
that  in  the  glen  dwelt  a  certain  woman  of  the  woods,  who 
had  her  habitation  in  a  cave  and  lived  upon  what  she  could 
kill  or  steal  or  dig  up  with  her  hands.  Now  this  woman 
was  mad.  For  it  had  chanced  that  her  husband  had  been 
“  smelt  out  ”  by  the  witch-doctors  as  a  worker  of  magic 
against  the  king,  and  slain.  Then  Chaka,  according  to 
custom,  despatched  the  slayers  to  eat  up  his  kraal,  and  they 
came  to  the  kraal  and  killed  his  people.  Last  of  all  they 
killed  his  children,  three  young  girls,  and  would  have 
assegaied  their  mother,  his  wife,  when  suddenly  a  spirit 
entered  into  her  at  the  sight,  and  she  went  mad,  so  that 
they  let  her  go,  being  afraid  to  touch  her  because  of  the 
spirit  within  her;  nor  would  any  touch  her  afterwards.  So 
she  fled  and  took  up  her  abode  in  the  haunted  glen ;  and 
this  was  the  nature  of  her  madness,  that  whenever  she  saw 
children,  and  more  especially  girl  children,  a  longing  came 
upon  her  to  kill  them  as  her  own  had  been  killed.  This, 
indeed,  she  did  often,  for  when  the  moon  was  full  and  her 


E 


5° 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


madness  at  its  highest,  she  would  travel  far  to  find  chil- 
dren,  snatching  them  away  from  the  kraals  like  a  hyena. 
Still,  none  would  touch  her  because  of  the  spirit  in  her,  not 
even  those  whose  children  she  had  murdered. 

So  Umslopogaas  and  Nada  came  to  the  glen  where  the 
child-slayer  lived,  and  sat  down  by  a  pool  of  water  not  far 
from  the  mouth  of  her  cave,  weaving  flowers  into  a  garland. 
Presently  Umslopogaas  left  Nada,  to  search  for  rock  lilies 
which  she  loved.  As  he  went  he  called  back  to  her, 
and  his  voice  awoke  the  woman  who  was  sleeping  in  her 
cave,  for  she  came  out  by  night  only,  like  a  jackal.  Then 
the  woman  stepped  forth,  smelling  blood  and  having  a 
spear  in  her  hand.  Presently  she  saw  Nada  seated  upon 
the  grass  weaving  flowers,  and  crept  towards  her  to  kill  her. 
Now  as  she  came — so  the  child  told  me — -suddenly  a  cold 
wind  seemed  to  breathe  upon  Nada,  and  fear  took  hold  of 
her,  though  she  did  not  see  the  woman  who  would  murder 
her.  She  let  fall  the  flowers,  and  looked  before  her  into 
the  pool,  and  there,  mirrored  in  the  pool,  she  saw  the  greedy 
face  of  the  child-slayer,  who  crept  down  upon  her  from 
above,  her  hair  hanging  about  her  brow  and  her  eyes  shin¬ 
ing  like  the  eyes  of  a  lion. 

Then  with  a  cry  Nada  sprang  up  and  fled  along  the  path 
which  Umslopogaas  had  taken,  and  after  her  leapt  and  ran 
the  mad  woman.  Umslopogaas  heard  her  cry.  He  turned 
and  rushed  back  over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and,  lo  !  there 
before  him  was  the  murderess.  Already  she  had  grasped 
Nada  by  the  hair,  already  her  spear  was  lifted  to  pierce 
her.  Umslopogaas  had  no  spear,  he  had  nothing  but  a 
little  stick  without  a  knob ;  yet  with  it  he  rushed  at  the  mad 
woman  and  struck  her  so  smartly  on  the  arm  that  she  let  go 
of  the  girl  and  turned  on  him  with  a  yell.  Then,  lifting  her 
spear,  she  struck  at  him,  but  he  leapt  aside.  Again  she 
struck ;  but  he  sprang  into  the  air,  and  the  spear  passed 
beneath  him.  A  third  time  the  woman  struck,  and,  though 
he  fell  to  earth  to  avoid  the  blow,  yet  the  assegai  pierced 
his  shoulder.  But  the  weight  of  his  body  as  he  fell 
twisted  it  from  her  hand,  and  before  she  could  grasp  him 
he  was  up,  and  beyond  her  reach,  the  spear  still  fast  in 
his  shoulder. 


UMSLOPOGAAS  ANSWERS  THE  KING 


Si 

Then  the  woman  turned,  screaming  with  rage  and  mad¬ 
ness,  and  ran  at  Nada  to  kill  her  with  her  hands.  But 
Umslopogaas  set  his  teeth,  and,  drawing  the  spear  from  his 
wound, .  charged  her,  shouting.  She  lifted  a  great  stone 
and  hurled  it  at  him — so  hard  that  it  flew  into  fragments 
against  another  stone  which  it  struck ;  yet  he  charged  on, 
and  smote  at  her  so  truly  that  he  drove  the  spear  through 
her,  and  she  fell  down  dead.  After  that  Nada  bound  up 
his  wound,  which  was  deep,  and  with  much  pain  he  reached 
the  king’s  kraal  and  told  me  this  story. 

Now  there  were  some  who  cried  that  the  boy  must  be 
put  to  death,  because  he  had  killed  one  possessed  with  a 
spirit.  But  I  said  no,  he  should  not  be  touched.  He  had 
killed  the  woman  in  defence  of  his  own  life  and  the  life  of 
his  sister ;  and  every  one  had  a  right  to  slay  in  self-defence, 
except  as  against  the  king  or  those  who  did  the  king’s  bid¬ 
ding.  Moreover,  I  said,  if  the  woman  had  a  spirit,  it  was 
an  evil  one,  for  no  good  spirit  would  ask  the  lives  of  chil¬ 
dren,  but  rather  those  of  cattle,  for  it  is  against  our  cus¬ 
tom  to  sacrifice  human  beings  to  the  Amatonga  even  in 
war,  though  the  Basutu  dogs  do  so.  Still,  the  tumult  grew, 
for  the  witch-doctors  were  set  upon  the  boy’s  death,  saying 
that  evil  would  come  of  it  if  he  was  allowed  to  live,  having 
killed  one  inspired,  and  at  last  the  matter  came  to  the  ears 
of  the  king.  Then  Chaka  summoned  me  and  the  boy  be¬ 
fore  him,  and  he  also  summoned  the  witch-doctors. 

First,  the  witch-doctors  set  out  their  case,  demanding  the 
death  of  Umslopogaas.  Chaka  asked  them  what  would  hap¬ 
pen  if  the  boy  was  not  killed.  They  answered  that  the  spirit 
of  the  dead  woman  would  lead  him  to  bring  evil  on  the  royal 
house.  Chaka  asked  if  he  would  bring  evil  upon  him,  the 
king.  They  in  turn  asked  of  the  spirits,  and  answered  no, 
not  on  him,  but  on  one  of  the  royal  house  who  should  be 
after  him.  Chaka  said  that  he  cared  nothing  what  happened 
to  those  who  came  after  him,  or  whether  good  or  evil  be¬ 
fell  them.  Then  he  spoke  to  Umslopogaas,  who  looked 
him  boldly  in  the  face,  as  an  equal  looks  at  an  equal. 

“Boy,”  he  said,  “what  hast  thou  to  say  as  to  why  thou 
shouldst  not  be  killed  as  these  men  demand  ?” 


52 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“This,  Black  One,”  answered  Umslopogaas;  “that  I 
stabbed  the  woman  in  defence  of  my  own  life.” 

“  That  is  nothing,”  said  Chaka.  “  If  I,  the  king,  wished 
to  kill  thee,  mightest  thou  therefore  kill  me  or  those  whom 
I  sent  ?  The  Itongo  in  the  woman  was  a  Spirit  King  and 
ordered  her  to  kill  thee  ;  thou  shouldst  then  have  let  thy¬ 
self  be  killed.  Hast  thou  no  other  reason  ?  ” 

“This,  Elephant,”  answered  Umslopogaas;  “  the  woman 
would  have  murdered  my  sister,  whom  I  love  better  than 
my  life.” 

“  That  is  nothing,”  said  Chaka.  “  If  I  ordered  thee  to  be 
killed  for  any  cause,  should  I  not  also  order  all  within  thy 
gates  to  be  killed  with  thee  ?  May  not,  then,  a  Spirit  King 
do  likewise  ?  If  thou  hast  nothing  more  to  say  thou  must 
die.” 

How  I  grew  afraid,  for  I  feared  lest  Chaka  should  slay 
him  who  was  called  my  son  because  of  the  word  of  the 
doctors.  But  the  boy  Umslopogaas  looked  up  and  answered 
boldly,  not  as  one  who  pleads  for  his  life,  but  as  one  who 
demands  a  right : — 

“  I  have  this  to  say,  Eater-up  of  Enemies,  and  if  it  is  not 
enough,  let  us  stop  talking,  and  let  me  be  killed.  Thou, 
0  king,  didst  command  that  this  woman  should  be  slain. 
Those  whom  thou  didst  send  to  destroy  her  spared  her,  be¬ 
cause  they  thought  her  mad.  I  have  carried  out  the  com¬ 
mandment  of  the  king ;  I  have  slain  her,  mad  or  sane, 
whom  the  king  commanded  should  be  killed,  and  I  have 
earned  not  death,  but  a  reward.” 

“  Well  said,  Umslopogaas  !  ”  answered  Chaka.  “  Let  ten 
head  of  cattle  be  given  to  this  boy  with  the  heart  of  a  man ; 
his  father  shall  guard  them  for  him.  Art  thou  satisfied 
now,  Umslopogaas?” 

*  “  I  take  that  which  is  due  to  me,  and  I  thank  the  king 

because  he  need  not  pay  unless  he  will,”  Umslopogaas 
answered. 

Chaka  stared  awhile,  began  to  grow  angry,  then  burst  out 
laughing. 

“  Why,  this  calf  is  such  another  one  as  was  dropped  long 
ago  in  the  kraal  of  Senzangacona ! ”  he  said.  “As  I  was, 


THE  GREAT  TNGOMBOCO 


53 


so  is  this  boy.  Go  on,  lad,  in  that  path,  and  thou  mayst 
find  those  who  shall  cry  the  royal  salute  of  Bayete  to  thee 
at  the  end  of  it.  Only  keep  out  of  my  way,  for  two  of  a 
kind  might  not  agree.  Now  begone  !  ” 

So  we  went,  but  as  we  passed  them  I  saw  the  doctors 
muttering  together,  for  they  were  ill-pleased  and  foreboded 
evil.  Also  they  were  jealous  of  me,  and  wished  to  smite 
me  through  the  heart  of  him  who  was  called  my  son. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  GREAT  INGOMBOCO. 

After  this  there  was  quiet  till  the  Feast  of  the  First- 
fruits  was  ended.  But  few  people  were  killed  at  this  feast, 
though  there  was  a  great  Ingomboco,  or  witch-hunt,  and 
many  were  smelt  out  by  the  witch-doctors  as  working  magic 
against  the  king.  Now  things  had  come  to  this  pass  in 
Zululand — that  the  whole  people  cowered  before  the  witch¬ 
doctors.  No  man  might  sleep  safe,  for  none  knew  but  that 
on  the  morrow  lie  would  be  touched  by  the  wand  of  an  Isa- 
nusi,  as  we  name  a  finder  of  witches,  and  led  away  to  his 
death.  For  awhile  Chaka  said  nothing,  and  so  long  as  the 
doctors  smelt  out  those  only  whom  he  wished  to  be  rid  of — 
and  they  were  many — lie  was  well  pleased.  But  when  they 
began  to  work  for  their  own  ends,  and  to  do  those  to  death 
whom  he  did  not  desire  to  kill,  he  grew  angry.  Yet  the 
custom  of  the  land  was  that  he  whom  the  witch-doctor 
touched  must  die,  lie  and  all  his  house ;  therefore  the  king 
was  in  a  cleft  stick,  for  he  scarcely  dared  to  save  even 
those  whom  he  loved.  One  night  I  came  to  doctor  him, 
for  lie  was  sick  in  his  mind.  On  that  very  day  there  had** 
been  an  Ivgomboco,  and  five  of  the  bravest  captains  of  the 
army  had  been  smelt  out  by  the  Abavgoma ,  the  witch-find¬ 
ers,  together  with  many  others.  All  had  been  destroyed, 
and  men  had  been  sent  to  kill  the  wives  and  children 
of  the  dead.  Now  Chaka  was  very  angry  at  this  slaying, 
and  opened  his  heart  to  me. 


54 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“The  witch-doctors  rule  in  Zululand,  and  not  I,  Mopo, 
son  of  Makedama/’  he  said  to  me.  “  Where,  then,  is  it  to 
end  ?  Shall  I  myself  be  smelt  out  and  slain  ?  These 
Isanusis  are  too  strong  for  me;  they  lie  upon  the  land 
like  the  shadow  of  night.  Tell  me,  how  may  I  be  free 
of  them  ?  ” 

“  Those  who  walk  the  Bridge  of  Spears,  0  king,  fall  off 
into  Nowhere, ”  I  answered  darkly  ;  “  even  witch-doctors 
cannot  keep  a  footing  on  that  bridge.  Has  not  a  witch¬ 
doctor  a  heart  that  can  cease  to  beat  ?  Has  he  not  blood 
that  can  be  made  to  flow  ?  ” 

Chaka  looked  at  me  strangely.  “  Thou  art  a  bold  man 
who  darest  to  speak  thus  to  me,  Mopo,”  he  said.  “Dost 
thou  not  know  that  it  is  sacrilege  to  touch  an  Isanusi  ?  ” 

“  I  speak  that  which  is  in  the  king’s  mind,”  I  answered. 
“  Hearken,  O  king  !  It  is  indeed  sacrilege  to  touch  a  true 
Isanusi,  but  what  if  the  Isanusi  be  a  liar  ?  What  if  he 
smell  out  falsely,  bringing  those  to  death  who  are  innocent 
of  evil  ?  Is  it  then  sacrilege  to  bring  him  to  that  end 
which  he  has  given  to  many  another  ?  Say,  0  king  !  ” 
“Good  words  !”  answered  Chaka.  “.Now  tell  me,  son  of 
Makedama,  how  may  this  matter  be  put  to  proof  ?  ” 

Then  I  leaned  forward,  whispering  into  the  ear  of  the 
Black  One,  and  he  nodded  heavily. 

Thus  I  spoke  then,  because  I,  too,  saw  the  evil  of  the 
Isanusis,  I  who  knew  their  secrets.  Also,  I  feared  for  my 
own  life  and  for  the  lives  of  all  those  who  were  dear  to  me. 
Bor  they  hated  me  as  one  instructed  in  their  magic,  one 
who  had  the  seeing  eye  and  the  hearing  ear. 

One  morning  thereafter  a  new  thing  came  to  pass  in  the 
royal  kraal,  for  the  king  himself  ran  out,  crying  aloud  to 
all  people  to  come  and  see  the  evil  that  had  been  worked 
upon  him  by  a  wizard.  They  came  together  and  saw  this. 
On  the  door-posts  of  the  gateway  of  the  Intunkulu ,  the 
house  of  the  king,  were  great  smears  of  blood.  The  knees 
of  men  strong  in  the  battle  trembled  when  they  saw  it; 
women  wailed  aloud  as  they  wail  over  the  dead;  they 
wailed  because  of  the  horror  of  the  omen. 

“  Who  has  done  this  thing  ?  ”  cried  Chaka  in  a  terrible 


THE  GREAT  INGOMBOCO 


55 


voice.  “  Who  has  dared  to  bewitch  the  king  and  to  strike 
blood  upon  his  house  ?  ” 

There  was  no  answer,  and  Chaka  spoke  again.  “  This  is 
no  little  matter,”  he  said,  “to  be  washed  away  with  the 
blood  of  one  or  two  and  be  forgotten.  The  man  who 
wrought  it  shall  not  die  alone  or  travel  with  a  few  to  the 
world  of  spirits.  All  his  tribe  shall  go  with  him,  down  to 
the  baby  in  his  hut  and  the  cattle  in  his  kraal !  Let  mes¬ 
sengers  go  out  east  and  "west,  and  north  and  south,  and  sum¬ 
mon  the  witch-doctors  from  every  quarter !  Let  them 
summon  the  captains  from  every  regiment  and  the  head¬ 
men  from  every  kraal !  On  the  tenth  day  from  now  the 
circle  of  the  Ingomboco  must  be  set,  and  there  shall  be  such 
a  smelling  out  of  wizards  and  of  witches  as  has  not  been 
known  in  Zululand  !  ” 

So  the  messengers  went  out  to  do  the  bidding  of  the 
king,  taking  the  names  of  those  who  should  be  summoned 
from  the  lips  of  the  indunas,  and  day  by  day  people  flocked 
up  to  the  gates  of  the  royal  kraal,  and,  creeping  on  their 
knees  before  the  majesty  of  the  king,  praised  him  aloud. 
But  he  vouchsafed  an  answer  to  none.  One  noble  only  he 
caused  to  be  killed,  because  he  carried  in  his  hand  a  stick 
of  the  royal  red  wood,  which  Chaka  himself  had  given  him 
in  bygone  years.1 

On  the  last  night  before  the  forming  of  the  Ingomboco, 
the  witch-doctors,  male  and  female,  entered  the  kraal. 
There  were  a  hundred  and  half  a  hundred  of  them,  and 
they  were  made  hideous  and  terrible  with  the  white  bones 
of  men,  with  bladders  of  fish  and  of  oxen,  with  fat  of  wiz¬ 
ards,  and  with  skins  of  snakes.  They  walked  in  silence 
till  they  came  in  front  of  the  Intunkulu,  the  royal  house ; 
then  they  stopped  and  sang  this  song  for  the  king  to 
hear : — 

We  have  come,  0  king,  we  have  come  from  the  caves  and  the  rocks 
and  the  swamps, 

To  wash  in  the  blood  of  the  slain  ; 

We  have  gathered  our  host  from  the  air  as  vultures  are  gathered  in  war 

When  they  scent  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

1  This  beautiful  wood  is  known  in  Natal  as  “  red  ivory.” — Ed. 


5« 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


We  come  not  alone,  0  king :  with  each  Wise  One  there  passes  a  ghost, 
Who  hisses  the  name  of  the  doomed. 

We  come  not  alone,  for  we  are  the  sons  and  Indunas  of  Death, 

And  he  guides  our  feet  to  the  doomed. 

Red  rises  the  moon  o’er  the  plain,  red  sinks  the  sun  in  the  west, 

Look,  wizards,  and  bid  them  farewell  ! 

We  count  you  by  hundreds,  you  who  cried  for  a  curse  on  the  king. 

Ha  !  soon  shall  we  bid  you  farewell ! 

Then  they  were  silent,  and  went  in  silence  to  the  place 
appointed  for  them,  there  to  pass  the  night  in  mutterings 
and  magic.  But  those  who  were  gathered  together  shivered 
with  fear  when  they  heard  their  words,  for  they  knew  well 
that  many  a  man  would  be  switched  with  the  gnu’s  tail 
before  the  sun  sank  once  more.  And  I,  too,  trembled,  for 
my  heart  was  full  of  fear.  Ah  !  my  father,  those  were 
evil  days  to  live  in  when  Chaka  ruled,  and  death  met  us  at 
every  turn !  Then  no  man  might  call  his  life  his  own,  or 
that  of  his  wife  or  child,  or  anything.  All  were  the  king’s, 
and  what  war  spared  that  the  witch-doctors  took. 

The  morning  dawned  heavily,  and  before  it  was  well  light 
the  heralds  were  out  summoning  all  to  the  king’s  Ingomboco. 
Men  came  by  hundreds,  carrying  short  sticks  only — for  to 
be  seen  armed  was  death — and  seated  themselves  in  the 
great  circle  before  the  gates  of  the  royal  house.  Oh !  their 
looks  were  sad,  and  they  had  little  stomach  for  eating  that 
morning,  they  who  were  food  for  death.  They  seated  them¬ 
selves;  then  round  them  on  the  outside  of  the  circle  gath¬ 
ered  knots  of  warriors,  chosen  men,  great  and  fierce,  armed 
with  kerries  only.  These  were  the  slayers. 

When  all  was  ready,  the  king  came  out,  followed  by 
his  indunas  and  by  me.  As  he  appeared,  wrapped  in  his 
kaross  of  tiger-skins  and  towering  a  head  higher  than  any 
man  there,  all  the  multitude — and  it  was  many  as  the  game 
on  the  hills — cast  themselves  to  earth,  and  from  every  lip 
sharp  and  sudden  went  up  the  royal  salute  of  Bayete.  But 
Chaka  took  no  note ;  his  brow  was  cloudy  as  a  mountain- 
top.  He  cast  one  glance  at  the  people  and  one  at  the  slayers, 
and  wherever  his  eye  fell  men  turned  grey  with  fear.  Then 


THE  GREAT  INGOMBOCO 


57 


he  stalked  on,  and  sat  himself  upon  a  stool  to  the  north  of 
the  great  ring  looking  toward  the  open  space. 

For  awhile  there  was  silence  ;  then  from  the  gates  of  the 
women’s  quarters  came  a  band  of  maidens  arrayed  in  their 
beaded  dancing-dresses,  and  carrying  green  branches  in  their 
hands.  As  they  came,  they  clapped  their  hands  and  sang 
softly : — 

We  are  the  heralds  of  the  king’s  feast.  Ai !  Ail 
Vultures  shall  eat  it.  Ah  !  Ah  ! 

It  is  good — it  is  good  to  die  for  the  king  ! 

They  ceased,  and  ranged  themselves  in  a  body  behind  us. 
Then  Chaka  held  up  his  hand,  and  there  was  a  patter  of  run¬ 
ning  feet.  Presently,  from  behind  the  royal  huts  appeared  the 
great  company  of  the  Abangoma,  the  witch-doctors — men 
to  the  right  and  women  to  the  left.  In  the  left  hand  of 
each  was  the  tail  of  a  vilderbeeste,  in  the  right  a  bundle  of 
assegais  and  a  little  shield.  They  were  awful  to  see,  and 
the  bones  about  them  rattled  as  they  ran,  the  bladders  and 
the  snake-skins  floated  in  the  air  behind  them,  their  faces 
shone  with  the  fat  of  anointing,  their  eyes  started  like  the 
eyes  of  fishes,  and  their  lips  twitched  hungrily  as  they  glared 
round  the  death-ring.  Ha  !  ha  !  Little  did  those  evil  chil¬ 
dren  guess  who  should  be  the  slayers  and  who  should  be 
the  slain  before  that  sun  sank ! 

On  they  came,  like  a  grey  company  of  the  dead.  On  they 
came  in  silence  broken  only  by  the  patter  of  their  feet  and 
the  dry  rattling  of  their  bony  necklets,  till  they  stood  in 
long  ranks  before  the  Black  One.  Awhile  they  stood  thus, 
then  suddenly  every  one  of  them  thrust  forward  the  little 
shield  in  his  hand,  and  with  a  single  voice  they  cried,  “  Hail, 
Father !  ” 

“  Hail,  my  children  !  ”  answered  Chaka. 

“What  seekest  thou,  Father?”  they  cried  again. 
“Blood?” 

“The  blood  of  the  guilty,”  he  answered. 

They  turned  and  spoke  each  to  each ;  the  company  of  the 
men  spoke  to  the  company  of  the  women. 

“  The  Lion  of  the  Zulu  seeks  blood.” 


58 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  He  shall  be  fed !  ”  screamed  the  women. 

“The  Lion  of  the  Zulu  smells  blood. ” 

“  He  shall  see  it !  ”  screamed  the  women. 

“  His  eyes  search  out  the  wizards.” 

“  He  shall  count  their  dead  !  ”  screamed  the  women. 

“Peace!”  cried  Chaka.  “Waste  not  the  hours  in  talk, 
but  to  the  work.  Hearken  !  Wizards  have  bewitched  me  ! 
Wizards  have  dared  to  smite  blood  upon  the  gateways  of  the 
king.  Dig  in  the  burrows  of  the  earth  and  find  them,  ye 
rats  !  Ply  through  the  paths  of  the  air  and  find  them,  ye 
vultures  !  Smell  at  the  gates  of  the  people  and  name  them, 
ye  jackals  !  ye  hunters  in  the  night !  Drag  them  from  the 
caves  if  they  be  hidden,  from  the  distance  if  they  be  fled, 
from  the  graves  if  they  be  dead.  To  the  work  !  to  the  work  ! 
Show  them  to  me  truly,  and  your  gifts  shall  be  great ;  and 
for  them,  if  they  be  a  nation,  they  shall  be  slain.  Now 
begin.  Begin  by  companies  of  ten,  for  you  are  many,  and 
all  must  be  finished  ere  the  sun  sink.” 

“  It  shall  be  finished,  Father,”  they  answered. 

Then  ten  of  the  women  stood  forward,  and  at  their  head 
was  the  most  famous  witch-doctress  of  that  day — an  aged 
woman  named  Nobela,  a  woman  to  whose  eyes  the  darkness 
was  no  veil,  whose  scent  was  keen  as  a  dog’s,  who  heard  the 
voices  of  the  dead  as  they  cried  in  the  night,  and  spoke  truly 
of  what  she  heard.  All  the  other  Isanusis,  male  and  female, 
sat  down  in  a  half-moon  facing  the  king,  but  this  woman 
drew  forward,  and  with  her  came  nine  of  her  sisterhood. 
They  turned  east  and  west,  north  and  south,  searching  the 
heavens  ;  they  turned  east  and  west,  north  and  south,  search¬ 
ing  the  earth  ;  they  turned  east  and  west,  north  and  south, 
searching  the  hearts  of  men.  Then  they  crept  round  and 
round  the  great  ring  like  cats;  then  they  threw  themselves 
upon  the  earth  and  smelt  it.  And  all  the  time  there  was 
silence,  silence  deep  .as  midnight,  and  in  it  men  hearkened 
to  the  beating  of  their  hearts  ;  only  now  and  again  the  vul¬ 
tures  shrieked  in  the  trees. 

At  length  Nobela  spoke: — 

“Do  you  smell  him,  sisters  ?” 

“  We  smell  him,”  they  answered. 


THE  GREAT  INGOMBOCO 


59 


u  Does  he  sit  in  the  east,  sisters  ?  ” 

“He  sits  in  the  east,”  they  answered. 

“  Is  he  the  son  of  a  stranger,  sisters  ?  ” 

“  He  is  the  son  of  a  stranger.” 

Then  they  crept  nearer,  crept  on  their  hands  and  knees, 
till  they  were  within  ten  paces  of  where  I  sat  among  the 
indunas  near  to  the  king.  The  indunas  looked  on  each 
other  and  grew  grey  with  fear ;  and  for  me,  my  father,  my 
knees  were  loosened  and  my  marrow  turned  to  water  in  my 
bones.  For  I  knew  well  who  was  that  son  of  a  stranger  of 
whom  they  spoke.  It  was  I,  my  father,  I  who  was  about  to 
be  smelt  out ;  and  if  I  was  smelt  out  I  should  be  killed  with 
all  my  house,  for  the  king’s  oath  would  scarcely  avail  me 
against  the  witch-doctors.  I  looked  at  the  fierce  faces  of 
the  Isanusis  before  me,  as  they  crept,  crept  like  snakes.  I 
glanced  behind  and  saw  the  slayers  grasping  their  kerries 
for  the  deed  of  death,  and  I  say  I  felt  like  one  for  whom 
the  bitterness  is  overpast.  Then  I  remembered  the  words 
which  the  king  and  I  had  whispered  together  of  the  cause 
for  which  this  Ingomboco  was  set,  and  hope  crept  back  to 
me  like  the  first  gleam  of  the  dawn  upon  a  stormy  night. 
Still  I  did  not  hope  overmuch,  for  it  well  might  happen 
that  the  king  had  but  set  a  trap  to  catch  me. 

Now  they  were  quite  near  and  halted. 

“  Have  we  dreamed  falsely,  sisters  ?  ”  asked  Nobela,  the 
aged. 

“  What  we  dreamed  in  the  night  we  see  in  the  day,”  they 
answered. 

“  Shall  I  whisper  his  name  in  your  ears,  sisters  ?  ” 

They  lifted  their  heads  from  the  ground  like  snakes  and 
nodded,  and  as  they  nodded  the  necklets  of  bones  rattled  on 
their  skinny  necks.  Then  they  drew  their  heads  to  a  circle, 
and  Nobela  thrust  hers  into  the  centre  of  the  circle  and  said 
a  word. 

“  Ha !  ha  !  ”  they  laughed,  “  we  hear  you  !  His  is  the 
name.  Let  him  be  named  by  it  in  the  face  of  Heaven,  him 
and  all  his  house ;  then  let  him  hear  no  other  name  for¬ 
ever !  ” 

And  suddenly  they  sprang  up  and  rushed  towards  me, 


6o 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Nobela,  the  aged  Isanusi,  at  their  head.  They  leaped  at 
me,  pointing  to  me  with  the  tails  of  the  yilderbeestes  in 
their  hands.  Then  Nobela  switched  me  in  the  face  with 
the  tail  of  the  beast,  and  cried  aloud : — 

“  Greeting,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama  !  Thou  art  the  man 
who  smotest  blood  on  the  door-posts  of  the  king  to  bewitch 
the  king.  Let  thy  house  be  stamped  flat !  ” 

I  saw  her  come,  I  felt  the  blow  on  my  face  as  a  man  feels 
in  a  dream.  I  heard  the  feet  of  the  slayers  as  they  bounded 
forward  to  hale  me  to  the  dreadful  death,  but  my  tongue 
clave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth — I  could  not  say  a  word. 
I  glanced  at  the  king,  and,  as  I  did  so,  I  thought  that  I 
heard  him  mutter :  “Near  the  mark,  not  in  it.” 

Then  he  held  up  his  spear,  and  all  was  silence.  The 
slayers  stopped  in  their  stride,  the  witch-doctors  stood  with 
outstretched  arms,  the  world  of  men  was  as  though  it  had 
been  frozen  into  sleep. 

“  Hold  !  ”  he  said.  “  Stand  aside,  son  of  Makedama,  who 
art  named  an  evildoer !  Stand  aside,  thou,  Nobela,  and  those 
with  thee  who  have  named  him  evildoer  !  What  ?  Shall  I 
be  satisfied  with  the  life  of  one  dog  ?  Smell  on,  ye  vultures, 
company  by  company,  smell  on !  For  the  day  the  labour,  at 
night  the  feast !  ” 

So  I  rose,  astonished,  and  stood  on  one  side.  The  witch- 
doctresses  also  stood  on  one  side,  wonderstruck,  since  no 
such  smelling  out  as  this  had  been  seen  in  the  land.  For  till 
this  hour,  when  a  man  was  swept  with  the  gnu’s  tail  of  the 
Isanusi  that  was  the  instant  of  his  death.  Why,  then,  men 
asked  in  their  hearts,  was  the  death  delayed  ?  The  witch¬ 
doctors  asked  it  also,  and  looked  to  the  king  for  light,  as 
men  look  to  a  thunder-cloud  for  the  flash.  But  from  the 
Black  One  there  came  no  word. 

So  we  stood  on  one  side,  and  a  second  party  of  the  Isanusi 
women  began  their  rites.  As  the  others  had  done,  so  they 
did,  and  yet  they  worked  otherwise,  for  this  is  the  fashion 
of  the  Isanusis,  that  no  two  of  them  smell  out  in  the  same 
way.  And  this  party  swept  the  faces  of  certain  of  the  king’s 
councillors,  naming  them  guilty  of  the  witch-work. 

“  Stand  ye  on  one  side !  ”  said  the  king  to  those  who  had 


THE  GREAT  INGOMBOCO 


61 


been  smelt  out;  “and  ye  who  have  hunted  out  their  wick¬ 
edness,  stand  ye  with  those  who  named  Mopo,  son  of  Make- 
dama.  It  well  may  be  that  all  are  guilty.” 

So  these  stood  on  one  side  also,  and  a  third  party  took  up 
the  tale.  And  they  named  certain  of  the  great  generals,  and 
were  in  turn  bidden  to  stand  on  one  side  together  with  those 
whom  they  had  named. 

So  it  went  on  through  all  that  day.  Company  by  company 
the  women  doomed  their  victims,  till  there  were  no  more  left 
of  their  number,  and  were  commanded  to  stand  aside  together 
with  those  whom  they  had  doomed.  Then  the  male  Isanusis 
began,  and  I  could  see  well  that  by  this  time  their  hearts  were 
fearful,  for  they  smelt  a  snare.  Yet  the  king’s  bidding  must 
be  done,  and  though  their  magic  failed  them  here,  victims 
must  be  found.  So  they  smelt  out  this  man  and  that  man 
till  we  were  a  great  company  of  the  doomed,  who  sat  in 
silence  on  the  ground  looking  at  each  other  with  sad  eyes 
and  watching  the  sun,  which  we  deemed  our  last,  climb 
slowly  down  the  sky.  And  ever  as  the  day  waned  those 
who  were  left  untried  of  the  witch-doctors  grew  madder 
and  more  fierce.  They  leaped  into  the  air,  they  ground 
their  teeth,  and  rolled  upon  the  ground.  They  drew  forth 
snakes  and  devoured  them  alive,  they  shrieked  out  to  the 
spirits  and  called  upon  the  names  of  ancient  kings. 

At  length  it  drew  on  to  evening,  and  the  last  company  of 
the  witch-doctors  did  their  work,  smelling  out  some  of  the 
keepers  of  the  Emposeni ,  the  house  of  the  women.  But 
there  was  one  man  of  their  company,  a  young  man  and  a 
tall,  who  held  back  and  took  no  share  in  the  work,  but  stood 
by  himself  in  the  centre  of  the  great  circle,  fixing  his  eyes 
on  the  heavens. 

And  when  this  company  had  been  ordered  to  stand  aside 
also  together  with  those  whom  they  had  smelt  out,  the  king 
called  aloud  to  the  last  of  the  witch-doctors,  asking  him  of 
his  name  and  tribe,  and  why  he  alone  did  not  do  his  office. 

“  My  name  is  Indabazimbi,  the  son  of  Arpi,  0  king,”  he 
answered,  “and  I  am  of  the  tribe  of  the  Maquilisini.  Does 
the  king  bid  me  to  smell  out  him  of  whom  the  spirits  have 
spoken  to  me  as  the  worker  of  this  deed  ?  ” 


62 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  I  bid  thee,”  said  the  king. 

Then  the  young  man  Indabazimbi  stepped  straight  for- 
ward  across  the  ring,  making  no  cries  or  gestures,  but  as 
one  who  walks  from  his  gate  to  the  cattle  kraal,  and  sud¬ 
denly  he  struck  the  king  in  the  face  with  the  tail  in  his 
hand,  saying,  “  I  smell  out  the  Heavens  above  me !  ”  1 

Now  a  great  gasp  of  wonder  went  up  from  the  multitude, 
and  all  looked  to  see  this  fool  killed  by  torture.  But  Chaka 
rose  and  laughed  aloud. 

“  Thou  hast  said  it,”  he  cried,  “  and  thou  alone  !  Listen, 
ye  people !  I  did  the  deed !  I  smote  blood  upon  the  gate¬ 
ways  of  my  kraal ;  with  my  own  hand  I  smote  it,  that  I 
might  learn  who  were  the  true  doctors  and  who  were  the 
false  !  Now  it  seems  that  in  the  land  of  the  Zulu  there  is 
one  true  doctor — this  young  man — and  of  the  false,  look  at 
them  and  count  them,  they  are  like  the  leaves.  See  !  there 
they  stand,  and  by  them  stand  those  whom  they  have 
doomed — the  innocent  whom,  with  their  wives  and  children, 
they  have  doomed  to  the  death  of  the  dog.  Now  I  ask 
you,  my  people,  what  reward  shall  be  given  to  them?  ” 
Then  a  great  roar  went  up  from  all  the  multitude,  “  Let 
them  die,  O  king !  ” 

“  Ay  !  ”  he  answered.  “  Let  them  die  as  liars  should !  ” 
Now  the  Isanusis,  men  and  women,  screamed  aloud  in 
fear,  and  cried  for  mercy,  tearing  themselves  with  their 
nails,  for  least  of  all  things  did  they  desire  to  taste  of  their 
own  medicine  of  death.  But  the  king  only  laughed  the 
more. 

“  Hearken  ye  !  ”  he  said,  pointing  to  the  crowd  of  us  who 
had  been  smelt  out.  “  Ye  were  doomed  to  death  by  these 
false  prophets.  Now  glut  yourselves  upon  them.  Slay 
them,  my  children !  slay  them  all !  wipe  them  away!  stamp 
them  out ! — all !  all,  save  this  young  man  !  ” 

Then  we  bounded  from  the  ground,  for  our  hearts  were 
fierce  with  hate  and  with  longing  to  avenge  the  terrors  we 
had  borne.  The  doomed  slew  the  doomers,  while  from  the 
circle  of  the  Ingomboco  a  great  roar  of  laughter  went  up, 


1  A  Zulu  title  for  the  king. — Ed. 


J 


‘1  smell  out  the  Heavens  above  me.’ 


THE  GREAT  1NG0MB0C0  63 

for  men  rejoiced  because  the  burden  of  the  witch-doctors 
had  fallen  from  them. 

At  last  it  was  done,  and  we  drew  back  from  the  heap  of 
the  dead.  Nothing  was  heard  there  now — no  more  cries  or 
prayers  or  curses.  The  witch-finders  travelled  the  path  on 
which  they  had  set  the  feet  of  many.  The  king  drew  near 
to  look.  He  came  alone,  and  all  who  had  done  his  bidding 
bent  their  heads  and  crept  past  him,  praising  him  as  they 
went.  Only  I  stood  still,  covered,  as  1  was  with  mire  and 
filth,  for  I  did  not  fear  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  king. 
Chaka  drew  near,  and  looked  at  the  piled-up  heaps  of  the 
slain  and  the  cloud  of  dust  that  yet  hung  over  them. 

“  There  they  lie,  Mopo,”  he  said.  “  There  lie  those  who 
dared  to  prophesy  falsely  to  the  king  !  That  was  a  good 
word  of  thine,  Mopo,  which  taught  me  to  set  the  snare  for 
them  ;  yet  methought  I  saw  thee  start  when  Nobela,  queen 
of  the  witch-doctresses,  switched  death  on  thee.  Well, 
they  are  dead,  and  the  land  breathes  more  freely ;  and  for 
the  evil  which  they  have  done,  it  is  as  yonder  dust,  that 
soon  shall  sink  again  to  earth  and  there  be  lost/’ 

Thus  he  spoke,  then  ceased — for  lo !  something  moved 
beneath  the  cloud  of  dust,  something  broke  a  way  through 
the  heap  of  the  dead.  Slowly  it  forced  its  path,  pushing 
the  slain  this  way  and  that,  till  at  length  it  stood  upon  its 
feet  and  tottered  towards  us — a  thing  dreadful  to  look  on. 
The  shape  was  the  shape  of  an  aged  woman,  and  even 
through  the  blood  and  mire  I  knew  her.  It  was  Nobela, 
she  who  had  doomed  me,  she  whom  but  now  I  had  smitten 
to  earth,  but  who  had  come  back  from  the  dead  to  curse  me  ! 

On  she  tottered,  her  apparel  hanging  round  her  in  red 
rags,  a  hundred  wounds  upon  her  face  and  form.  I  saw  that 
she  was  dying,  but  life  still  flickered  in  her,  and  the  fire  of 
hate  burned  in  her  snaky  eyes. 

“  Hail,  king  !  ”  she  screamed. 

“  Peace,  liar  !  ”  he  answered  ;  •  “  thou  art  dead  !  ” 

“  Not  yet,  king.  I  heard  chy  voice  and  the  voice  of  yon¬ 
der  dog,  whom  I  would  have  given  to  the  jackals,  and  I 
will  not  die  till  I  have  spoken.  I  smelt  him  out  this 
morning  when  I  was  alive  ;  now  that  I  am  as  one  already 


64 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


dead,  I  smell  him  out  again.  He  shall  bewitch  thee  with 
blood  indeed,  Chaka — he  and  Unandi,  thy  mother,  and 
Baleka,  thy  wife.  Think  of  my  words  when  the  assegai 
reddens  before  thee  for  the  last  time,  king  !  Farewell !  ” 
And  she  uttered  a  great  cry  and  rolled  upon  the  ground 
dead. 

“  The  witch  lies  hard  and  dies  hard,”  said  the  king  care¬ 
lessly,  and  turned  upon  his  heel.  But  those  words  of  dead 
Nobela  remained  fixed  in  his  memory,  or  so  much  of  them 
as  had  been  spoken  of  Unandi  and  Baleka.  There  they 
remained  like  seeds  in  the  earth,  there  they  grew  to  bring 
forth  fruit  in  their  season. 

0 

And  thus  ended  the  great  Ingomboco  of  Chaka,  the  great¬ 
est  Ingomboco  that  ever  was  held  in  Zululand. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  LOSS  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS. 

How,  after  the  smelling  out  of  the  witch-doctors,  Chaka 
caused  a  watch  to  be  kept  upon  his  mother  Unandi,  and 
his  wife  Baleka,  my  sister,  and  report  was  brought  to  him 
by  those  who  watched,  that  the  two  women  came  to  my 
huts  by  stealth,  and  there  kissed  and  nursed  a  boy — one 
of  my  children.  Then  Chaka  remembered  the  prophecy 
of  Nobela,  the  dead  Isanusi,  and  his  heart  grew  dark  with 
doubt.  But  to  me  he  said  nothing  of  the  matter,  for  then, 
as  always,  his  eyes  looked  over  my  head.  He  did  not  fear 
me  or  believe  that  I  plotted  against  him,  I  who  was  his 
dog.  Still,  he  did  this,  though  whether  by  chance  or  design 
I  do  not  know  :  he  bade  me  go  on  a  journey  to  a  distant 
tribe  that  lived  near  the  borders  of  the  Amaswazi,  there  to 
take  count  of  certain  of  the  king’s  cattle  which  were  in  the 
charge  of  that  tribe,  and  to  bring  him  account  of  the  tale 
of  their  increase.  So  I  bowed  before  the  king,  and  said 
that  I  would  run  like  a  dog  to  do  his  bidding,  and  he  gave 
me  men  to  go  with  me. 


THE  LOSS  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


65 


Then  I  returned  to  my  huts  to  bid  farewell  to  my  wives 
and  children,  and  there  I  found  that  my  wife  Anadi,  the 
mother  of  Moosa,  my  son,  had  fallen  sick  with  a  wandering 
sickness,  for  strange  things  came  into  her  mind,  and  what 
came  into  her  mind  that  she  said,  being,  as  I  did  not  doubt, 
bewitched  by  some  enemy  of  my  house. 

Still,  I  must  go  upon  the  king’s  business,  and  I  told  this 
to  my  wife  Macropha,  the  mother  of  Nada,  and,  as  it  was 
thought,  of  Umslopogaas,  the  son  of  Chaka.  But  when  I 
spoke  to  Macropha  of  the  matter  she  burst  into  tears  and 
clung  to  me.  I  asked  her  why  she  wept  thus,  and  she  an¬ 
swered  that  the  shadow  of  evil  lay  upon  her  heart,  for  she 
was  sure  that  if  I  left  her  at  the  king's  kraal,  when  I  re¬ 
turned  again  I  should  find  neither  her  nor  ISTada,  my  child, 
nor  Umslopogaas,  who  was  named  my  son,  and  whom  I 
loved  as  a  son,  still  in  the  land  of  life.  Then  I  tried  to 
calm  her ;  but  the  more  I  strove  the  more  she  wept,  saying 
that  she  knew  well  that  these  things  would  be  so. 

Now  I  asked  her  what  could  be  done,  for  I  was  stirred 
by  her  tears,  and  the  dread  of  evil  crept  from  her  to  me  as 
shadows  creep  from  the  valley  to  the  mountain. 

She  answered,  “  Take  me  with  you,  my  husband,  that  I 
may  leave  this  evil  land,  where  the  very  skies  rain  blood, 
and  let  me  rest  awhile  in  the  place  of  my  own  people  till  the 
terror  of  Chaka  has  gone  by.” 

“  How  can  I  do  this  ?  ”  I  said.  “  None  may  leave  the 
king’s  kraal  without  the  king’s  pass.” 

“A  man  may  put  away  his  wife,”  she  replied.  “ The  king 
does  not  stand  between  a  man  and  his  wife.  Say,  my  hus¬ 
band,  that  you  love  me  no  longer,  that  I  bear  you  no  more 
children,  and  that  therefore  you  send  me  back  whence  I 
came.  By-and-bye  we  will  come  together  again  if  we  are 
left  among  the  living.” 

“  So  be  it,”  I  answered.  “  Leave  the  kraal  with  Nada  and 
Umslopogaas  this  night,  and  to-morrow  morning  meet  me 
at  the  river  bank,  and  we  will  go  on  together,  and  for  the 
rest  may  the  spirits  of  our  fathers  hold  us  safe.” 

So  we  kissed  each  other,  and  Macropha  went  on  secretly 
with  the  children. 

F 


66 


NAD  A  THE  ULY 


Now  at  the  dawning  on  the  morrow  I  summoned  the  men 
whom  the  king  had  given  me,  and  we  started  upon  our  jour¬ 
ney.  When  the  sun  was  well  up  we  came  to  the  banks  of 
the  river,  and  there  I  found  my  wife  Macropha,  and  with 
her  the  two  children.  They  rose  as  I  came,  but  I  frowned 
at  my  wife  and  she  gave  me  no  greeting.  Those  with  me 
looked  at  her  askance. 

“I  have  divorced  this  woman, ”  I  said  to  them.  “She 
is  a  withered  tree,  a  worn  out  old  hag,  and  now  I  take  her 
with  me  to  send  her  to  the  country  of  the  Swazis,  whence 
she  came.”  “  Cease  your  weeping,”  I  added  to  Macropha, 
“  it  is  my  last  word.” 

“What  says  the  king  ?  ”  asked  the  men. 

“  I  will  answer  to  the  king,”  I  said.  And  we  went  on. 

Now  I  must  tell  how  we  lost  Umslopogaas,  the  son  of 
Chaka,  who  was  then  a  great  lad  drawing  on  to  manhood, 
herce  in  temper,  well  grown  and  broad  for  his  years. 

We  had  journeyed  seven  days,  for  the  way  was  long,  and 
on  the  night  of  the  seventh  day  we  came  to  a  mountainous 
country  in  which  there  were  few  kraals,  for  Chaka  had  eaten 
them  all  up  years  before.  Perhaps  you  know  the  place,  my 
father.  In  it  is  a  great  and  strange  mountain.  It  is  haunted 
also,  and  named  the  Ghost  Mountain,  and  on  the  top  of  it  is 
a  grey  peak  rudely  shaped  like  the  head  of  an  aged  woman. 
Here  in  this  wild  place  we  must  sleep,  for  darkness  drew 
on.  Now  we  soon  learned  that  there  were  many  lions  in 
the  rocks  around,  for  we  heard  their  roaring  and  were  much 
afraid,  all  except  Umslopogaas,  who  feared  nothing.  So  we 
made  a  circle  of  thorn-bushes  and  sat  in  it,  holding  our 
assegais  ready.  Presently  the  moon  came  up — it  was  a  full- 
grown  moon  and  very  bright,  so  bright  that  we  could  see 
everything  for  a  long  way  round.  Now  some  six  spear- 
throws  from  where  we  sat  was  a  cliff,  and  at  the  top  of  the 
cliff  was  a  cave,  and  in  this  cave  lived  two  lions  and  their 
young.  When  the  moon  grew  bright  we  saw  the  lions  come 
out  and  stand  upon  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  and  with  them 
were  two  little  ones  that  played  about  like  kittens,  so  that 
had  we  not  been  frightened  it  would  have  been  beautiful  to 
see  them. 


THE  LOSS  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


67 

“Oh  l  Umslopogaas,”  said  Nada,  “  I  wish  that  I  had  one 
of  the  little  lions  for  a  dog.” 

The  boy  laughed,  saying,  “  Then,  shall  I  fetch  you  one, 
sister  ?  ” 

“  Peace,  boy,”  I  said.  “  No  man  may  take  young  lions 
from  their  lair  and  live.” 

“  Such  things  have  been  done,  my  father,”  he  answered, 
laughing.  And  no  more  was  said  of  the  matter. 

Now  when  the  lions  had  played  awhile,  we  saw  the  lioness 
take  up  the  cubs  in  her  mouth  and  carry  them  into  the  cave. 
Then  she  came  out  again,  and  went  away  with  her  mate  to 
seek  food,  and  soon  we  heard  them  roaring  in  the  distance. 
Now  we  stacked  up  the  fire  and  went  to  sleep  in  our  en¬ 
closure  of  thorns  without  fear,  for  we  knew  that  the  lions 
were  far  away  eating  game.  But  Umslopogaas  did  not  sleep, 
for  he  had  determined  that  he  would  fetch  the  cub  which 
Nada  had  desired,  and,  being  young  and  foolhardy,  he 
did  not  think  of  the  danger  which  he  would  bring  upon 
himself  and  all  of  us.  He  knew  no  fear,  and  now,  as  ever, 
if  Nada  spoke  a  word,  nay,  even  if  she  thought  of  a  thing 
to  desire  it,  he  would  not  rest  till  it  was  won  for  her.  So 
while  we  slept  Umslopogaas  crept  like  a  snake  from  the 
fence  of  thorns,  and,  taking  an  assegai  in  his  hand,  he  slipped 
away  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff  where  the  lions  had  their  den. 
Then  he  climbed  the  cliff,  and,  coming  to  the  cave,  entered 
there  and  groped  his  way  into  it.  The  cubs  heard  him,  and, 
thinking  that  it  was  their  mother  who  returned,  began  to 
whine  and  purr  for  food.  Guided  by  the  light  of  their 
yellow  eyes,  he  crept  over  the  bones,  of  which  there  were 
many  in  the  cave,  and  came  to  where  they  lay.  Then  he 
put  out  his  hands  and  seized  one  of  the  cubs,  killing  the 
other  with  his  assegai,  because  he  could  not  carry  both  of 
them.  Now  he  made  haste  thence  before  the  lions  returned, 
and  came  back  to  the  thorn  fence  where  we  lay  just  as  the 
dawn  was  breaking. 

I  awoke  at  the  coming  of  the  dawn,  and,  standing  up,  I 
looked  out.  Lo !  there,  on  the  farther  side  of  the  thorn 
fence,  looking  large  in  the  grey  mist,  stood  the  lad  Umslopo¬ 
gaas,  laughing.  In  his  teeth  he  held  the  assegai,  yet  drip 

f  2 


68 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


ping  with  blood,  and  in  his  hands  the  lion  cub  that, 
despite  its  whines  and  struggles,  he  grasped  by  the  skin 
of  the  neck  and  the  hind  legs. 

“ Awake,  my  sister!”  he  cried;  “here  is  the  dog  you 
seek.  Ah  !  he  bites  now,  but  he  will  soon  grow  tame.” 

Nada  awoke,  and  rising,  cried  out  with  joy  at  the  sight  of 
the  cub,  but  for  a  moment  I  stood  astonished. 

“  Fool !  ”  I  cried  at  last,  “  let  the  cub  go  before  the  lions 
come  to  rend  us !  ” 

“  I  will  not  let  it  go,  my  father,”  he  answered  sullenly. 
“  Are  there  not  five  of  us  with  spears,  and  can  we  not  fight 
two  cats?  I  was  not  afraid  to  go  alone  into  their  den. 
Are  you  all  afraid  to  meet  them  in  the  open  ?  ” 

“You  are  mad,”  I  said;  “let  the  cub  go!”  And  I  ran 
towards  Umslopogaas  to  take  it  from  him.  But  he  sprang 
aside  and  avoided  me. 

“  I  will  never  let  that  go  of  which  I  have  got  hold,”  he 
said,  “at  least  not  living !  ”  And  suddenly  he  seized  the  head 
of  the  cub  and  twisted  its  neck ;  then  threw  it  on  to  the 
ground,  and  added,  “  See,  now  I  have  done  your  bidding, 
my  father !  ” 

As  he  spoke  we  heard  a  great  sound  of  roaring  from  the 
cave  in  the  cliff.  The  lions  had  returned  and  found  one  cub 
dead  and  the  other  gone. 

“Into  the  fence  ! — back  into  the  fence  !  ”  I  cried,  and  we 
sprang  over  the  thorn-bushes  where  those  with  us  were 
making  ready  their  spears,  trembling  as  they  handled  them 
with  fear  and  the  cold  of  the  morning.  We  looked  up. 
There,  down  the  side  of  the  cliff,  came  the  lions,  bounding 
on  the  scent  of  him  who  had  robbed  them  of  their  young. 
The  lion  ran  first,  and  as  he  came  he  roared;  then  fob 
lowed  the  lioness,  but  she  did  not  roar,  for  in  her  mouth 
was  the  cub  that  Umslopogaas  had  assegaied  in  the  cave. 
Now  they  drew  near,  mad  with  fury,  their  manes  bristling, 
and  lashing  their  flanks  with  their  long  tails. 

“  Curse  you  for  a  fool,  son  of  Mopo,”  said  one  of  the  men 
with  me  to  Umslopogaas  ;  “  presently  I  will  beat  you  till  the 
blood  comes  for  this  trick.” 

“First  beat  the  lions,  then  beat  me  if  you  can,”  am 


THE  LOSS  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS  69 

swered  the  lad,  “and  wait  to  curse  till  you  have*  done 
both” 

Now  the  lions  were  close  to  us ;  they  came  to  the  body 
of  the  second  cub,  that  lay  outside  the  fence  of  thorns. 
The  lion  stopped  and  sniffed  it.  Then  he  roared — ah  !  he 
roared  till  the  earth  shook.  As  for  the  lioness,  she  dropped 
the  dead  cub  which  she  was  carrying,  and  took  the  other 
into  her  mouth,  for  she  could  not  carry  both. 

“Get  behind  me,  Nada,”  cried  Umslopogaas,  brandishing 
his  spear,  “  the  lion  is  about  to  spring.” 

As  the  words  left  his  mouth  the  great  brute  crouched  to 
the  ground.  Then  suddenly  he  sprang  from  it  like  a  bird, 
and  like  a  bird  he  travelled  through  the  air  towards  us. 

“Catch  him  on  the  spears!”  cried  Umslopogaas,  and  by 
nature,  as  it  were,  we  did  the  boy’s  bidding;  for  huddling 
ourselves  together,  we  held  out  the  assegais  so  that  the  lion 
fell  upon  them  as  he  sprang,  and  their  blades  sank  far  into 
him.  But  the  weight  of  his  charge  carried  us  to  the  ground, 
and  he  fell  on  to  us,  striking  at  us  aud  at  the  spears,  and 
roaring  with  pain  and  fury  as  he  struck.  Presently  he  was 
on  his  legs  biting  at  the  spears  in  his  breast.  Then  Umslo¬ 
pogaas,  who  alone  did  not  wait  his  onslaught,  but  had 
stepped  aside  for  his  own  ends,  uttered  a  loud  cry  and  drove 
his  assegai  into  the  lion  behind  the  shoulder,  so  that  with  a 
groan  the  brute  rolled  over  dead. 

Meanwhile,  the  lioness  stood  without  the  fence,  the  second 
dead  cub  in  her  mouth,  for  she  could  not  bring  herself  to 
leave  either  of  them.  But  when  she  heard  her  mate’s  last 
groan  she  dropped  the  cub  and  gathered  herself  together 
to  spring.  Umslopogaas  alone  stood  up  to  face  her,  for  he 
only  had  withdrawn  his  assegai  from  the  carcase  of  the 
lion.  She  swept  on  towards  the  lad,  who  stood  like  a  stone 
to  meet  her.  Now  she  met  his  spear,  it  sunk  in,  it  snapped, 
and  down  fell  Umslopogaas  dead  or  senseless  beneath  the 
mass  of  the  lioness.  She  sprang  up,  the  broken  spear 
standing  in  her  breast,  sniffed  at  Umslopogaas,  then,  as 
though  she  knew  that  it  was  he  who  had  robbed  her,  she 
seized  him  by  the  loins  and  moocha,  and  sprang  with  him 
over  the  fence. 


70 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  Oh,  save  him  !  ”  cried  the  girl  Nada  in  bitter  woe.  And 
we  rushed  after  the  lioness  shouting. 

For  a  moment  she  stood  over  her  dead  cubs,  Umslopogaas 
hanging  from  her  mouth,  and  looked  at  them  as  though  she 
wondered;  and  we  hoped  that  she  might  let  him  fall. 
Then,  hearing  our  cries,  she  turned  and  bounded  away 
towards  the  bush,  bearing  Umslopogaas  in  her  mouth.  We 
seized  our  spears  and  followed ;  but  soon  the  ground  grew 
stony,  and,  search  as  we  would,  we  could  find  no  trace  of 
Umslopogaas  or  of  the  lioness.  They  had  vanished  like  a 
cloud.  So  we  came  back,  and,  ah !  my  heart  was  sore,  for 
I  loved  the  lad  as  though  he  had  indeed  been  my  son.  But 
I  knew  that  he  was  dead,  and  there  was  an  end. 

“ Where  is  my  brother?”  cried  Nada  when  we  came 
back. 

“Lost,”  I  answered.  “Lost,  never  to  be  found  again.” 

Then  the  girl  gave  a  great  and  bitter  cry,  and  fell  to  the 
earth  saying,  “  I  would  that  I  were  dead  with  my  brother !  ” 

“  Let  us  be  going,”  said  Macropha,  my  wife. 

“  Have  you  no  tears  to  weep  for  your  son  ?  ”  asked  a  man 
of  our  company. 

“What  is  the  use  of  weeping  over  the  dead?  Does  it, 
then,  bring  them  back?”  she  answered.  “Let  us  be 
going !  ” 

The  man  thought  these  words  strange,  but  he  did  not 
know  that  Umslopogaas  was  not  born  of  Macropha. 

Still,  we  waited  in  that  place  a  day,  thinking  that,  per¬ 
haps,  the  lioness  would  return  to  her  den  and  that,  at  least, 
we  might  kill  her.  But  she  came  back  no  more.  So  on 
the  next  morning  we  rolled  up  our  blankets  and  started 
forward  on  our  journey,  sad  at  heart.  In  truth,  Nada  was 
so  weak  from  grief  that  she  could  hardly  travel,  but  I  never 
heard  the  name  of  Umslopogaas  pass  her  lips  again  during 
that  journey.  She  buried  him  in  her  heart  and  said  nothing. 
And  I  too  said  nothing,  but  I  wondered  why  it  had  been 
brought  about  that  I  should  save  the  life  of  Umslopogaas 
from  the  jaws  of  the  Lion  of  Zulu,  that  the  lioness  of  the 
rocks  might  devour  him. 

And  so  the  time  went  on  till  we  reached  the  kraal  where 


THE  LOSS  OF  UMSLOPOGAAS 


7 1 


the  king’s  business  must  be  done,  and  where  I  and  my  wife 
should  part. 

On  the  morning  after  we  came  to  the  kraal,  having  kissed 
in  secret,  though  in  public  we  looked  sullenly  on  one  another, 
we  parted  as  those  part  who  meet  no  more,  for  it  was  in 
our  thoughts,  that  we  should  never  see  each  other’s  face 
again,  nor,  indeed,  did  we  do  so.  And  I  drew  Nada  aside 
and  spoke  to  her  thus:  “We  part,  my  daughter;  nor  do  I 
know  when  we  shall  meet  again,  for  the  times  are  troubled 
and  it  is  for  your  safety  and  that  of  your  mother  that  I  rob 
my  eyes  of  the  sight  of  you.  Nada,  you  will  soon  be  a 
woman,  and  you  will  be  fairer  than  any  woman  among  our 
people,  and  it  may  come  about  that  many  great  men  will 
seek  you  in  marriage,  and,  perhaps,  that  I,  your  father, 
shall  not  be  there  to  choose  for  you  whom  you  shall  wed, 
according  to  the  custom  of  our  land.  But  I  charge  you, 
so  far  as  may  be  possible  for  you  to  do  so,  take  only  a 
man  whom  you  can  love,  and  be  faithful  to  him  alone,  for 
thus  shall  a  woman  find  happiness.” 

Here  I  stopped,  for  the  girl  took  hold  of  my  hand  and 
looked  into  my  face.  “  Peace,  my  father,”  she  said,  “  do  not 
speak  to  me  of  marriage,  for  I  will  wed  no  man,  now  that 
Umslopogaas  is  dead  because  of  my  foolishness.  I  will  live 
and  die  alone,  and,  oh  !  may  I  die  quickly,  that  I  may  go  to 
seek  him  whom  I  love  only  !  ” 

“Nay,  Nada,”  I  said,  “  Umslopogaas  was  your  brother, 
and  it  is  not  fitting  that  you  should  speak  of  him  thus,  even 
though  he  is  dead.” 

“I  know  nothing  of  such  matters,  my  father,”  she  said. 
“  I  speak  what  my  heart  tells  me,  and  it  tells  me  that  I 
loved  Umslopogaas  living,  and,  though  he  is  dead,  I  shall 
love  him  alone  to  the  end.  Ah !  you  think  me  but  a  child, 
yet  my  heart  is  large,  and  it  does  not  lie  to  me.” 

Now  I  upbraided  the  girl  no  more,  because  I  knew  that 
Umslopogaas  was  not  her  brother,  but  one  whom  she  might 
have  married.  Only  I  marvelled  that  the  voice  of  nature 
should  speak  so  truly  in  her,  telling  her  that  which  was 
lawful,  even  when  it  seemed  to  be  most  unlawful. 

“  Speak  no  more  of  Umslopogaas,”  I  said,  “  for  surely  he  is 


7  2 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


dead,  and  though  you  cannot  forget  him,  yet  speak  of  him 
no  more,  and  I  pray  of  you,  my  daughter,  that  if  we  do 
not  meet  again,  yet  you  should  keep  me  in  your  memory, 
and  the  love  I  bear  you,  and  the  words  which  from  time  I 
have  said  to  you.  The  world  is  a  thorny  wilderness,  my 
daughter,  and  its  thorns  are  watered  with  a  rain  of  blood, 
and  we  wander  in  our  wretchedness  like  lost  travellers  in  a 
mist ;  nor  do  I  know  why  our  feet  are  set  upon  this  wander¬ 
ing.  But  at  last  there  comes  an  end,  and  we  die  and  go 
hence,  none  know  where,  but  perhaps  where  we  go  the  evil 
may  change  to  the  good,  and  those  who  were  dear  to  each 
other  qn  the  earth  may  become  yet  dearer  in  the  heavens  ; 
for  I  believe  that  man  is  not  born  to  perish  altogether, 
but  is  rather  gathered  again  to  the  Umkulunkulu  who  sent 
him  on  his  journeyings.  Therefore  keep  hope,  my  daughter, 
for  if  these  things  are  not  so,  at  least  sleep  remains,  and 
sleep  is  soft,  and  so  farewell.” 

Then  we  kissed  and  parted,  and  I  watched  Macropha,  my 
wife,  and  Nada,  my  daughter,  till  they  melted  into  the  sky, 
as  they  walked  upon  their  journey  to  Swaziland,  and  was 
very  sad,  because,  having  lost  Umslopogaas,  he  who  in  after 
days  was  named  the  Slaughterer  and  the  Woodpecker,  I 
must  lose  them  also. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  TRIAL  OF  MOPO. 

Now  I  sat  four  days  in  the  huts  of  the  tribe  whither  I 
had  been  sent,  and  did  the  king’s  business.  And  on  the 
fifth  morning  I  rose  up,  together  with  those  with  me,  and 
we  turned  our  faces  towards  the  king’s  kraal.  But  when 
we  had  journeyed  a  little  way  we  met  a  party  of  soldiers, 
who  commanded  us  to  stand. 

“  What  is  it,  king’s  men  ?  ”  I  asked  boldly. 

“  hfiis,  son  of  Makedama,”  answered  their  spokesman : 
“  give  over  to  us  your  wife  Macropha  and  your  children 


'  ■  ■  1  . .  -  . 


'm:'-.  ■■  -iU 

H — E  BHw . . . . . . . - 


( 


And  so  farewell.’ 


THE  TRIAL  OF  MOPO 


7  j 

Umslopogaas  and  Nada,  that  we  may  do  with  them  as  the 
king  commands.” 

“ Umslopogaas,”  I  answered,  “has  gone  where  the  king’s 
arm  cannot  stretch,  for  he  is  dead ;  and  for  my  wife 
Macropha  and  my  daughter  Uada,  they  are  by  now  in  the 
caves  of  the  Swazis,  and  the  king  must  seek  them  there 
with  an  army  if  he  will  find  them.  To  Macropha  he  is  wel¬ 
come,  for  I  hate  her,  and  have  divorced  her ;  and  as  for  the 
girl,  well,  there  are  many  girls,  and  it  is  no  great  matter  if 
she  lives  or  dies,  yet  I  pray  him  to  spare  her.” 

Thus  I  spoke  carelessly,  for  I  knew  well  that  my  wife 
and  child  were  beyond  the  reach  of  Chaka. 

“You  do  well  to  ask  the  girl’s  life,”  said  the  soldier, 
laughing,  “  for  all  those  born  to  you  are  dead,  by  order  of 
the  king.” 

“  Is  it  indeed  so  ?  ”  I  answered  calmly,  though  my  knees 
shook  and  my  tongue  clove  to  my  lips.  “The  will  of  the 
king  be  done.  A  cut  stick  puts  out  new  leaves ;  I  can  have 
more  children.” 

“  Ay,  Mopo ;  but  first  you  must  get  new  wives,  for  yours 
are  dead  also,  all  five  of  them.” 

“  Is  it  indeed  so  ?  ”  I  answered.  “  The  king’s  will  be 
done.  I  wearied  of  those  brawling  women.” 

“  So,  Mopo,”  said  the  soldier ;  “  but  to  get  other  wives 
and  have  more  children  born  to  you,  you  must  live  yourself, 
for  no  children  are  born  to  the  dead,  and  I  think  that  Chaka 
has  an  assegai  which  you  shall  kiss.” 

“Is  it  so?”  I  answered.  “The  king’s  will  be  done. 
The  sun  is  hot,  and  I  tire  of  the  road.  He  who  kisses  the 
assegai  sleeps  sound.” 

Thus  I  spoke,  my  father,  and,  indeed,  in  that  hour  I 
desired  to  die.  The  world  was  empty  for  me.  Macropha 
and  Nada  were  gone,  Umslopogaas  was  dead,  and  my  other 
wives  and  children  were  murdered.  I  had  no  heart  to  begin 
to  build  up  a  new  house,  none  were  left  for  me  to  love,  and 
it  seemed  well  that  I  should  die  also. 

The  soldiers  asked  those  with  me  if  that  tale  was  true 
which  I  told  of  the  death  of  Umslopogaas  and  of  the  going 
of  Macropha  and  Nada  into  Swaziland.  They  said,  Yes,  it 


7  4 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


was  true.  Then  the  soldiers  said  that  they  would  lead  me 
back  to  the  king,  and  I  wondered  at  this,  for  I  thought  that 
they  would  kill  me  where  I  stood.  So  we  went  on,  and 
piece  by  piece  I  learned  what  had  happened  at  the  king’s 
kraal. 

On  the  day  after  I  left,  it  came  to  the  ears  of  Chaka,  by 
the  mouth  of  his  spies,  that  my  second  wife — Anadi — was 
sick  and  spoke  strange  words  in  her  sickness.  Then,  taking 
three  soldiers  with  him,  he  went  to  my  kraal  at  the  death 
of  the  day.  He  left  the  three  soldiers  by  the  gates  of  the 
kraal,  bidding  them  to  suffer  none  to  come  in  or  go  out,  but 
Chaka  himself  entered  the  large  hut  where  Anadi  lay  sick, 
having  his  toy  assegai,  with  the  shaft  of  the  royal  red  wood, 
in  his  hand.  How,  as  it  chanced,  in  the  hut  were  Unandi,  the 
mother  of  Chaka,  and  Baleka,  my  sister,  the  wife  of  Chaka, 
for,  not  knowing  that  I  had  taken  away  Umslopogaas,  the 
son  of  Baleka,  according  to  their  custom,  these  two  foolish 
women  had  come  to  kiss  and  fondle  the  lad.  But  when  they 
entered  the  hut  they  found  it  full  of  my  other  wives  and 
children.  These  they  sent  away,  all  except  Moosa,  the  son 
of  Anadi,  who  lay  sick — that  boy  who  was  born  eight  days 
before  Umslopogaas,  the  son  of  Chaka.  But  they  kept 
Moosa  in  the  hut,  and  kissed  him,  giving  him  imphi1  to  eat, 
fearing  lest  it  should  seem  strange  to  the  women,  my  wives, 
if,  Umslopogaas  being  gone,  they  refused  to  take  notice  of 
any  other  child. 

How  as  they  sat  thus,  presently  the  doorway  was  dark¬ 
ened,  and,  behold !  the  king  himself  crept  through  it,  and 
saw  them  fondling  the  child  Moosa.  When  they  knew  who 
it  was  that  entered,  the  women  flung  themselves  upon  the 
ground  before  him  and  praised  him.  But  he  smiled  grimly, 
and  bade  them  be  seated.  Then  he  spoke  to  them,  saying, 
“You  wonder,  Unandi,  my  mother,  and  Baleka,  my  wife, 
why  it  is  that  I  am  come  here  into  the  hut  of  Mopo,  son  of 
Makedama.  I  will  tell  you  :  it  is  because  he  is  away  upon 
my  business,  and  I  hear  that  his  wife  Anadi  is  sick — it  is 
she  who  lies  there,  is  it  not?  Therefore,  as  the  first  doc- 


1 A  variety  of  sugar-cane. — Ed. 


THE  TR/AL  OF  MOPO 


75 


tor  in  tlie  land,  I  am  come  to  cure  her,  Unandi,  my  mother, 
and  Baleka,  my  sister.” 

Thus  he  spoke,  eying  them  as  he  did  so,  and  taking 
snuff  from  the  blade  of  his  little  assegai,  and  though  his 
words  were  gentle  they  shook  with  fear,  for  when  Chaka 
spoke  thus  gently  he  meant  death  to  many.  But  Unandi, 
Mother  of  the  Heavens,  answered,  saying  that  it  was  well 
that  the  king  had  come,  since  his  medicine  would  bring  rest 
and  peace  to  her  who  lay  sick. 

“Yes,”  he  answered;  “it  is  well.  It  is  pleasant,  more¬ 
over,  my  mother  and  my  sister,  to  see  you  kissing  yonder 
child.  Surely,  were  he  of  your  own  blood  you  could  not 
love  him  more.” 

Now  they  trembled  again,  and  prayed  in  their  hearts 
that  Anadi,  the  sick  woman,  who  lay  asleep,  might  not 
wake  and  utter  foolish  words  in  her  wandering.  But  the 
prayer  was  answered  from  below  and  not  from  above,  for 
Anadi  woke,  and,  hearing  the  voice  of  the  king,  her  sick 
mind  flew  to  him  whom  she  believed  to  be  the  king’s  child. 

“Ah !  ”  she  said,  sitting  upon  the  ground  and  pointing  to 
her  own  son  Moosa,  who  squatted  frightened  against  the 
wall  of  the  hut.  “Kiss  him,  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  kiss 
him  !  Whom  do  they  call  him,  the  young  cub  who  brings 
ill-fortune  to  our  doors  ?  They  call  him  the  son  of  Mopo 
and  Macropha !”  And  she  laughed  wildly,  stopped  speaking, 
and  sank  back  upon  the  bed  of  skins. 

“  They  call  him  the  son  of  Mopo  and  Macropha,”  said  the 
king  in  a  low  voice.  “  Whose  son  is  he,  then,  woman  ?  ” 

“  Oh,  ask  her  not,  0  king,”  cried  his  mother  and  his  wife, 
casting  themselves  upon  the  ground  before  him,  for  they 
were  mad  with  fear.  “  Ask  her  not ;  she  has  strange 
fancies  such  as  are  not  meet  for  your  ears  to  hear.  She  is 
bewitched,  and  has  dreams  and  fancies.” 

“Peace!”  he  answered.  “I  will  listen  to  this  woman’s 
wanderings.  Perhaps  some  star  of  truth  shines  in  her 
darkness,  and  I  would  see  light.  Who,  then,  is  he, 
woman  ?  ” 

“Who  is  he  ?  ”  she  answered.  “  Are  you  a  fool  that  ask 
who  he  is  ?  He  is — hush  ! — put  your  ear  close — let  me 


7  6 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


speak  low  lest  the  reeds  of  the  hut  whisper  it  to  the  king. 
He  is — do  you  listen  ?  He  is — the  son  of  Chaka  and 
Baleka,  the  sister  of  Mopo,  the  changeling  whom  Unandi, 
Mother  of  the  Heavens,  palmed  off  upon  this  house  to 
bring  a  curse  on  it,  and  whom  she  would  lead  out  before  the 
people  when  the  land  is  weary  of  the  wickedness  of  the 
king,  her  son,  to  take  the  place  of  the  king.” 

“It  is  false,  0  king  !  ”  cried  the  two  women.  “Do  not 
listen  to  her ;  it  is  false.  The  boy  is  her  own  son,  Moosa, 
whom  she  does  not  know  in  her  sickness.” 

But  Chaka  stood  up  in  the  hut  and  laughed  terribly. 
“Truly,  Nobela  prophesied  well,”  he  cried,  “  and  I  did  ill  to 
slay  her.  So  this  is  the  trick  thou  hast  played  upon  me,  my 
mother.  Thou  wouldst  give  a  son  to  me  who  will  have  no 
son  :  thou  wouldst  give  me  a  son  to  kill  me.  Good  !  Mother 
of  the  Heavens,  take  thou  the  doom  of  the  Heavens  !  Thou 
wouldst  give  me  a  son  to  slay  me  and  rule  in  my  place ; 
now,  in  turn,  I,  thy  son,  will  rob  me  of  a  mother.  Die, 
Unandi ! — die  at  the  hand  thou  didst  bring  forth  !  ”  And 
he  lifted  the  little  assegai  and  smote  it  through  her. 

For  a  moment  Unandi,  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  wife  of 
Senzangacona,  stood  uttering  no  cry.  Then  she  put  up  her 
hand,  and  drew  the  assegai  from  her  side. 

“  So  shalt  thou  die  also,  Chaka  the  Evil !  ”  she  cried,  and 
fell  down  dead  there  in  the  hut. 

Thus,  then,  did  Chaka  murder  his  mother  Unandi. 

Now  when  Baleka  saw  what  had  been  done,  she  turned 
and  fled  from  the  hut  to  the  Emposeni,  and  so  swiftly  that 
the  guards  at  the  gates  could  not  stop  her.  But  when  she 
reached  her  own  hut  Baleka’s  strength  failed  her,  and  she 
fell  senseless  on  the  ground.  But  the  boy  Moosa,  my  son, 
being  overcome  with  terror,  stayed  where  he  was,  and 
Chaka,  believing  him  to  be  his  son,  murdered  him  also, 
and  with  his  own  hand. 

Then  he  stalked  out  of  the  hut,  and,  leaving  the  three 
guards  at  the  gate,  commanded  a  company  of  soldiers  to 
surround  the  kraal  and  fire  it.  This  they  did,  and  as  the 
people  rushed  out  they  killed  them,  and  those  who  did  not 
run  out  were  burned  in  the  fire.  Thus,  then,  perished  all 


THE  TRIAL  OF  MOPO 


77 


my  wives,  my  children,  my  servants,  and  those  who  were 
within  the  gates  in  their  company.  The  tree  was  burned, 
and  the  bees  in  it,  and  I  alone  was  left  living — I  and 
Macropha  and  Nada,  who  were  far  away. 

Nor  was  Chaka  yet  satisfied  with  blood,  for,  as  has  been 
told,  he  sent  messengers  bidding  them  kill  Macropha,  my 
wife,  and  Nada,  my  daughter,  and  him  who  was  named  my 
son.  But  he  commanded  the  messengers  that  they  should 
not  slay  me,  but  bring  me  living  before  him. 

Now  when  the  soldiers  did  not  kill  me  I  took  counsel 
with  myself,  for  it  was  my  belief  that  I  was  saved  alive 
only  that  I  might  die  later,  and  in  a  more  cruel  fashion. 
Therefore  for  awhile  I  thought  that  it  would  be  well  if  I  did 
that  for  myself  which  another  purposed  to  do  for  me.  Why 
should  I,  who  was  already  doomed,  wait  to  meet  my  doom  ? 
What  had  I  left  to  keep  me  in  the  place  of  life,  seeing 
that  all  whom  I  loved  were  dead  or  gone  ?  To  die  would  be 
easy,  for  I  knew  the  ways  of  death.  In  my  girdle  I  carried 
a  secret  medicine ;  he  who  eats  of  it,  my  father,  will  see  the 
sun’s  shadow  move  no  more,  and  will  never  look  upon  the 
stars  again.  But  I  was  not  minded  to  know  the  assegai  or 
the  kerrie;  nor  would  I  perish  more  slowly  beneath  the 
knives  of  the  tormentors,  nor  be  parched  by  the  pangs  of 
thirst,  or  wander  eyeless  to  my  end.  Therefore  it  was  that, 
since  I  had  sat  in  the  doom  ring  looking  hour  after  hour 
into  the  face  of  death,  I  had  borne  this  medicine  with  me  by 
night  and  by  day.  Surely  now  was  the  time  to  use  it. 

So  I  thought  as  I  sat  through  the  watches  of  the  night, 
ay  !  and  drew  out  the  bitter  drug  and  laid  it  on  my  tongue. 
But  as  I  did  so  I  remembered  my  daughter  Nada,  who  was 
left  to  me,  though  she  sojourned  in  a  far  country,  and  my 
wife  Macropha  and  my  sister  Baleka,  who  still  lived,  so 
said  the  soldiers,  though  how  it  came  about  that  the  king 
had  not  killed  her  I  did  not  know  then.  Also  another 
thought  was  born  in  my  heart.  While  life  remained  to  me,  I 
might  be  revenged  upon  him  who  had  wrought  me  this  woe ; 
but  can  the  dead  strike  ?  Alas  !  the  dead  are  strengthless, 
and  if  they  still  have  hearts  to  suffer,  they  have  no  hands  to 
give  back  blow  for  blow.  Nay,  I  would  live  on.  Time  to 


73 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


die  when  death  could  no  more  be  put  away.  Time  to  die 
when  the  voice  of  Chaka  spoke  my  doom.  Death  chooses 
for  himself  and  answers  no  questions  ;  he  is  a  guest  to  whom 
none  need  open  the  door  of  his  hut,  for  when  he  wills  he 
can  pass  the  thatch  like  the  air.  Not  yet  would  I  taste  of 
that  medicine  of  mine. 

So  I  lived  on,  my  father,  and  the  soldiers  led  me  back  to 
the  kraal  of  Chaka.  Now  when  we  came  to  the  kraal  it 
was  night,  for  the  sun  had  sunk  as  we  passed  through  the 
gates.  Still,  as  he  had  been  commanded,  the  captain  of 
those  who  watched  me  went  in  before  the  king  and  told  him 
that  I  lay  without  in  bonds.  And  the  king  said,  “Let  him 
be  brought  before  me,  who  was  my  physician,  that  I  may 
tell  him  how  I  have  doctored  those  of  his  house.” 

So  they  took  me  and  led  me  to  the  royal  house,  and  pushed 
me  through  the  doorway  of  the  great  hut. 

Now  a  fire  burned  in  the  hut,  for  the  night  was  cold,  and 
Chaka  sat  on  the  further  side  of  the  fire,  looking  towards 
the  opening  of  the  hut,  and  the  smoke  from  the  fire  wreathed 
him  round,  and  its  light  shone  upon  his  face  and  flickered 
in  his  terrible  eyes. 

At  the  door  of  the  hut  certain  of  the  councillors  seized 
me  by  the  arms  and  dragged  me  towards  the  fire.  But  I 
broke  from  them,  and  prostrating  myself,  for  my  arms  were 
free,  I  praised  the  king  and  called  him  by  his  royal  names. 
The  councillors  sprang  towards  me  to  seize  me  again,  but 
Chaka  said,  “Let  him  be;  I  would  talk  with  my  servant.” 
Then  the  councillors  bowed  themselves  on  either  side,  and 
laid  their  hands  on  their  sticks,  their  foreheads  touching  the 
ground.  But  I  sat  down  on  the  floor  of  the  hut  over  against 
the  king,  and  we  talked  through  the  fire. 

“Tell  me  of  the  cattle  that  I  sent  thee  to  number,  Mopo, 
son  of  Makedama,”  said  Chaka.  “Have  my  servants  dealt 
honestly  with  my  cattle  ?  ” 

“They  have  dealt  honestly,  0  king,”  I  answered. 

“  Tell  me,  then,  of  the  number  of  the  cattle  and  of  their 
markings,  Mopo,  forgetting  none.” 

So  I  sat  and  told  him,  ox  by  ox,  cow  by  cow,  and  heifer  by 
heifer,  forgetting  none ;  and  Chaka  listened  silently  as  one 


THE  TRIAL  OF  MOPO 


79 


who  is  asleep.  But  I  knew  that  he  did.  not  sleep,  for  all 
the  while  the  firelight  flickered  in  his  fierce  eyes.  Also 
I  knew  that  he  did  but  torment  me,  or  that,  perhaps,  he 
would  learn  of  the  cattle  before  he  killed  me.  At  length  all 
the  tale  was  told. 

“  So,”  said  the  king,  “  it  goes  well.  There  are  yet 
honest  men  left  in  the  land.  Knowest  thou,  Mopo,  that 
sorrow  has  come  upon  thy  house  while  thou  wast  about  my 
business  ?  ” 

“I  have  heard  it,  0  king !  ”  I  answered,  as  one  who 
speaks  of  a  small  matter. 

“  Yes,  Mopo,  sorrow  has  come  upon  thy  house,  the  curse 
of  Heaven  has  fallen  upon  thy  kraal.  They  tell  me,  Mopo, 
that  the  fire  from  above  ran  briskly  through  thy  huts.” 

“  I  have  heard  it,  0  king  !  ” 

“  They  tell  me,  Mopo,  that  those  within  thy  gates  grew 
mad  at  the  sight  of  the  fire,  and  dreaming  there  was  no 
escape,  that  they  stabbed  themselves  with  assegais  or 
leaped  into  the  flames.” 

“  I  have  heard  it,  0  king !  What  of  it  ?  Any  river  is 
deep  enough  to  drown  a  fool !  ” 

“  Thou  hast  heard  these  things,  Mopo,  but  thou  hast  not 
yet  heard  all.  Knowest  thou,  Mopo,  that  among  those  who 
died  in  thy  kraal  was  she  who  bore  me,  she  who  was  named 
Mother  of  the  Heavens?” 

Then,  my  father,  I,  Mopo,  acted  wisely,  because  of  the 
thought  which  my  good  spirit  gave  me,  for  I  cast  myself 
upon  the  ground,  and  wailed  aloud  as  though  in  utter  grief. 

“  Spare  my  ears,  Black  One  !  ”  I  wailed.  “  Tell  me  not 
that  she  who  bore  thee  is  dead,  0  Lion  of  the  Zulu.  For 
the  others,  what  is  it  ?  It  is  a  breath  of  wind,  it  is  a  drop 
of  water ;  but  this  trouble  is  as  the  gale  or  as  the  sea.” 

“  Cease,  my  servant,  cease !  ”  said  the  mocking  voice  of 
Chaka;  “but  know  this,  thou  hast  done  well  to  grieve 
aloud  because  the  Mother  of  the  Heavens  is  no  more,  and 
ill  wouldst  thou  have  done  to  grieve  because  the  fire  from 
above  has  kissed  thy  gates.  For  hadst  thou  done  this  last 
thing  or  left  the  first  undone,  I  should  have  known  that 
thy  heart  was  wicked,  and  by  now  thou  wouldst  have  wept 


8o 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


indeed — tears  of  blood,  Mopo.  It  is  well  for  thee,  then, 
that  thou  hast  read  my  riddle  aright.” 

Now  I  saw  the  depth  of  the  pit  that  Chaka  had  dug 
for  me,  and  blessed  my  Elilose  who  had  put  into  my  heart 
those  words  which  I  should  answer.  I  hoped  also  that 
Chaka  would  now  let  me  go;  but  it  was  not  to  be,  for 
this  was  but  the  beginning  of  my  trial. 

“Knowest  thou,  Mopo,”  said  the  king,  “that  as  my 
mother  died  yonder  in  the  flames  of  thy  kraal  she  cried  out 
strange  and  terrible  words  which  came  to  my  ears  through 
the  singing  of  the  fire.  These  were  her  words :  that  thou, 
Mopo,  and  thy  sister  Baleka,  and  thy  wives,  had  conspired 
together  to  give  a  child  to  me  who  would  be  childless. 
These  were  her  words,  the  words  that  came  to  me  through 
the  singing  of  the  fire.  Tell  me  now,  Mopo,  where  are 
those  children  that  thou  leddest  from  thy  kraal,  the  boy 
with  the  lion  eyes  who  is  named  Umslopogaas,  and  the 
girl  who  is  named  Nada  ?  ” 

“Umslopogaas  is  dead  by  the  lion’s  mouth,  0  king!” 
I  answered,  “and  Nada  sits  in  the  Swazi  caves.”  And  I 
told  him  of  the  death  of  Umslopogaas  and  of  how  I  had 
divorced  Macropha,  my  wife. 

“  The  boy  with  the  lion  eyes  to  the  lion’s  mouth !”  said 
Chaka.  “Enough  of  him;  he  is  gone.  Nada  may  yet  be 
sought  for  with  the  assegai  in  the  Swazi  caves ;  enough  of 
her.  Let  us  speak  of  this  song  that  my  mother — who,  alas  ! 
is  dead,  Mopo — this  song  she  sang  through  the  singing  of 
the  flames.  Tell  me,  Mopo,  tell  me  now,  was  it  a  true 
tale  ?  ” 

“  Nay,  0  king !  surely  the  Mother  of  the  Heavens  was 
maddened  by  the  Heavens  when  she  sang  that  song,”  I 
answered.  “  I  know  nothing  of  it,  O  king.” 

“  Thou  knowest  naught  of  it,  Mopo  ?  ”  said  the  king. 
And  again  he  looked  at  me  terribly  through  the  reek  of  the 
fire.  “  Thou  knowest  naught  of  it,  Mopo  ?  Surely  thou 
art  a-cold;  thy  hands  shake  with  cold.  Nay,  man,  fear 
not — warm  them,  warm  them,  Mopo.  See,  now,  plunge  that 
hand  of  thine  into  the  heart  of  the  flame  !  ”  And  he  pointed 
with  his  little  assegai,  the  assegai  handled  with  the  royal 


THE  TRIAL  OF  MOPO 


81 


wood,  to  where  the  fire  glowed  reddest— ay,  he  pointed 
and  laughed. 

ihen,  my  father,  I  grew  cold  indeed — yes,  I  grew  cold 
who  soon  should  be  hot,  for  I  saw  the  purpose  of  Chaka. 
He  would  put  me  to  the  trial  by  fire. 

For  a  moment  I  sat  silent,  thinking.  Then  the  king 
spoke  again  in  a  great  voice  :  “Nay,  Mopo,  be  not  so  back¬ 
ward  j  shall  I  sit  warm  and  see  thee  suffer  cold  ?  What, 
my  councillors,  rise,  take  the  hand  of  Mopo,  and  hold  it  to 
the  flame,  that  his  heart  may  rejoice  in  the  warmth  of  the 
flame  while  we  speak  together  of  this  matter  of  the  child 
that  was,  so  my  mother  sang,  born  to  Baleka,  my  wife,  the 
sister  of  Mopo,  my  servant.” 

“There  is  little  need  for  that,  0  king,”  I  answered,  being 
made  bold  by  fear,  for  I  saw  that  if  I  did  nothing  death 
would  swiftly  end  my  doubts.  Once,  indeed,  I  bethought 
me  of  the  poison  that  I  bore,  and  was  minded  to  swallow  it 
and  make  an  end,  but  the  desire  to  live  is  great,  and  keen  is 
the  thirst  for  vengeance,  so  I  said  to  my  heart,  “Not  yet 
awhile ;  I  will  endure  this  also ;  afterwards,  if  need  be,  I 
can  die.” 

“  I  thank  the  king  for  his  graciousness,  and  I  will  warm 
me  at  the  fire.  Speak  on,  O  king,  while  I  warm  myself, 
and  thou  shalt  hear  true  words,”  I  said  boldly. 

Then,  my  father,  I  stretched  out  my  left  hand  and  plunged 
it  into  the  fire — not  into  the  hottest  of  the  fire,  but  where 
the  smoke  leapt  from  the  flame.  Now  my  flesh  was  wet 
with  the  sweat  of  fear,  and  for  a  little  moment  the  flames 
curled  round  it  and  did  not  burn  me.  But  I  knew  that  the  ' 
torment  was  to  come. 

For  a  short  while  Chaka  watched  me,  smiling.  Then  he 
spoke  slowly,  that  the  fire  might  find  time  to  do  its  work. 

“Say,  then,  Mopo,  thou  knowest  nothing  of  this  matter 
of  the  birth  of  a  son  to  thy  sister  Baleka  ?  ” 

“I  know  this  only,  0  king!”  I  answered,  “that  a  son 
was  born  in  past  years  to  thy  wife  Baleka,  that  I  killed  the 
child  in  obedience  to  thy  word,  and  laid  its  body  before 
thee.” 

Now,  my  father,  the  steam  from  my  flesh  had  been  drawn 


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NAD  A  THE  LILY 


from  my  hand  by  the  heat,  and  the  flame  got  hold  of  me 
and  ate  into  my  flesh,  and  its  torment  was  great.  But  of 
this  I  showed  no  sign  upon  my  face,  for  I  knew  well  that  if 
I  showed  sign  or  uttered  cry,  then,  having  failed  in  the  trial, 
death  would  be  my  portion. 

Then  the  king  spoke  again,  “  Dost  thou  swear  by  my 
head,  Mopo,  that  no  son  of  mine  was  suckled  in  thy 
kraals  ?  ” 

“  I  swear  it,  0  king  !  I  swear  it  by  thy  head,”  I  answered. 

And  now,  my  father,  the  agony  of  the  fire  was  such  as 
may  not  be  told.  I  felt  my  eyes  start  forward  in  their  sock¬ 
ets,  my  blood  seemed  to  boil  within  me,  it  rushed  into  my 
head,  and  down  my  face  there  ran  two  tears  of  blood.  But 
yet  I  held  my  hand  in  the  fire  and  made  no  sign,  while  the 
king  and  his  councillors  watched  me  curiously.  Still,  for  a 
moment  Chaka  said  nothing,  and  that  moment  seemed  to 
me  as  all  the  years  of  my  life. 

“  Ah  !  ”  he  said  at  length,  “  I  see  that  thou  growest  warm, 
Mopo  !  Withdraw  thy  hand  from  the  flame.  I  am  answered ; 
thou  hast  passed  the  trial ;  thy  heart  is  clean  ;  for  had  there 
been  lies  in  it  the  fire  had  given  them  tongue,  and  thou 
hadst  cried  aloud,  making  thy  last  music,  Mopo !  ” 

Now  I  took  my  hand  from  the  flame,  and  for  awhile  the 
torment  left  me. 

“  It  is  well,  0  king !  ”  I  said  calmly.  “  Dire  has  no  power 
of  hurt  on  those  whose  heart  is  pure.” 

But  as  I  spoke  I  looked  at  my  left  hand.  It  was  black, 
my  father — black  as  a  charred  stick,  and  the  nails  were  gone 
from  the  twisted  fingers.  Look  at  it  now,  my  father  ;  you 
can  see,  though  my  eyes  are  blind.  The  hand  is  white,  like 
yours — it  is  white  and  dead  and  shrivelled.  These  are  the 
marks  of  the  fire  in  Chaka’s  hut — the  fire  that  kissed  me 
many,  many  years  ago  ;  /  have  had  but  little  use  of  that 
hand  since  this  night  of  torment.  But  my  right  arm  yet 
remained  to  me,  my  father  and,  ah !  I  used  it. 

“  It  seems  that  Nobela*  the  doctress,  who  is  dead,  lied 
when  she  prophesied  evil  on  me  from  thee,  Mopo,”  said 
Chaka  again.  “  It  seema  that  thou  art  innocent  of  this 
offence,  and  that  Baleka,  Lhy  sister,  is  innocent,  and  that 


THE  COUNSEL  OE  BALEKA 


*3 


the  song  which  the  Mother  of  the  Heavens  sang  through 
the  singing  flames  was  no  true  song.  It  is  well  for  thee, 
Mopo,  for  in  such  a  matter  my  oath  had  not  helped  thee. 
But  my  mother  is  dead — dead  in  the  flames  with  thy  wives 
and  children,  Mopo,  and  in  this  there  is  witchcraft.  We 
will  have  a  mourning,  Mopo,  thou  and  I,  such  a  mourning 
as  has  not  been  seen  in  Zululand,  for  all  the  people  on  the 
earth  shall  weep  at  it.  And  there  shall  be  a  (  smelling  out  ’ 
at  this  mourning,  Mopo.  But  we  will  summon  no  witch¬ 
doctors,  thou  and  I  will  be  witch-doctors,  and  ourselves  shall 
smell  out  those  who  have  brought  these  woes  upon  us.  What ! 
shall  my  mother  die  unavenged,  she  who  bore  me  and  has 
perished  by  witchcraft,  and  shall  thy  wives  and  children  die 
unavenged — thou  being  innocent  ?  Go  forth,  Mopo,  my 
faithful  servant,  whom  I  have  honoured  with  the  warmth 
of  my  fire,  go  forth !  ”  And  once  again  he  stared  at  me  through 
the  reek  of  the  flame,  and  pointed  with  his  assegai  to  the 
door  of  the  hut. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  COUNSEL  OF  BALEKA. 

I  rose,  I  praised  the  king  with  a  loud  voice,  and  I 
went  from  the  Intunkulu,  the  house  of  the  king.  I  walked 
slowly  through  the  gates,  but  when  I  was  without  the  gates 
the  anguish  that  took  me  because  of  my  burnt  hand  was 
more  than  I  could  bear.  I  ran  to  and  fro  groaning  till  I 
came  to  the  hut  of  one  whom  I  knew.  There  I  found  fat, 
and  having  plunged  my  hand  in  the  fat,  I  wrapped  it 
round  with  a  skin  and  passed  out  again,  for  I  could  not 
stay  still.  I  went  to  and  fro,  till  at  length  I  reached  the 
spot  where  my  huts  had  been.  The  outer  fence  of  the  huts 
still  stood ;  the  fire  had  not  caught  it.  I  passed  through  the 
fence ;  there  within  were  the  ashes  of  the  burnt  huts — they 
lay  ankle-deep.  I  walked  in  Among  the  ashes;  my  feet 
struck  upon  things  that  were  sharp.  The  moon  was 
bright,  and  I  looked ;  they  were  the  blackened  bones  of  my 

g  2 


84 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


wives  and  children.  I  flung  myself  down  in  the  ashes  in 
bitterness  of  heart ;  I  covered  myself  over  with  the  ashes 
of  my  kraal  and  with  the  bones  of  my  wives  and  children. 
Yes,  my  father,  there  I  lay,  and  on  me  were  the  ashes,  and 
among  the  ashes  were  the  bones.  Thus,  then,  did  I  lie  for 
the  last  time  in  my  kraal,  and  was  sheltered  from  the  frost 
of  the  night  by  the  dust  of  those  to  whom  I  had  given  life. 
Such  were  the  things  that  befell  us  in  the  days  of  Chaka, 
my  father ;  yes,  not  to  me  alone,  but  to  many  another  also. 

I  lay  among  the  ashes  and  groaned  with  the  pain  of  my  burn, 
and  groaned  also  from  the  desolation  of  my  heart.  Why 
had  I  not  tasted  the  poison,  there  in  the  hut  of  Chaka,  and 
before  the  eyes  of  Chaka  ?  Why  did  I  not  taste  it  now 
and  make  an  end  ?  Nay,  I  had  endured  the  agony ;  I  would 
not  give  him  this  last  triumph  over  me.  Now,  having  passed 
the  fire,  once  more  I  should  be  great  in  the  land,  and  I  would 
become  great.  Yes,  I  would  bear  my  sorrows,  and  become 
great,  that  in  a  day  to  be  I  might  wreak  vengeance  on  the  king. 
Ah !  my  father,  there,  as  I  rolled  among  the  ashes,  I  prayed 
to  the  Amatongo,  to  the  ghosts  of  my  ancestors.  I  prayed  to 
my  Ehlos6 ,  to  the  spirit  that  watches  me — ay,  and  I  even 
dared  to  pray  to  the  Umkulunkulu,  the  great  soul  of  the 
world,  who  moves  through  the  heavens  and  the  earth  unseen 
and  unheard.  And  thus  I  prayed,  that  I  might  yet  live  to 
kill  Chaka  as  he  had  killed  those  who  were  dear  to  me. 
And  while  I  prayed  I  slept,  or,  if  I  did  not  sleep,  the  light 
of  thought  went  out  of  me,  and  I  became  as  one  dead. 
Then  there  came  a  vision  to  me,  a  vision  that  was  sent  in 
answer  to  my  prayer,  or,  perchance,  it  was  a  madness  born 
of  my  sorrows.  For,  my  father,  it  seemed  to  me  that  I 
stood  upon  the  bank  of  a  great  and  wide  river.  It  was 
gloomy  there,  the  light  lay  low  upon  the  face  of  the  river, 
but  far  away  on  the  farther  side  was  a  glow  like  the  glow  of 
a  stormy  dawn,  and  in  the  glow  I  saw  a  mighty  bed  of  reeds 
that  swayed  about  in  the  breath  of  the  dawn,  and  out  of  the 
reeds  came  men  and  women  and  children,  by  hundreds  and 
thousands  and  plunged  into  the  waters  of  the  river  and  were 
buffeted  about  by  them.  Now,  my  father,  all  the  people 
that  I  saw  in  the  water  were  black  people,  and  all  those  who 


THE  COUNSEL  OF  BALEKA 


85 


were  torn  out  of  the  reeds  were  black — they  were  none  oi 
them  white  like  your  people,  my  father,  for  this  vision  was 
a  vision  of  the  Zulu  race,  who  alone  are  “torn  out  of  the 
reeds.”  Now,  I  saw  that  of  those  who  swam  in  the  river 
some  passed  over  very  quickly  and  some  stood,  as  it  were, 
still  in  the  water — as  in  life,  my  father,  some  die  soon  and 
some  live  for  many  years.  And  I  saw  the  countless  faces  of 
those  in  the  water,  among  them  were  many  that  I  knew, 
lhere,  my  father,  I  saw  the  face  of  Chaka,  and  near  him 
was  my  own  face;  there,  too,  I  saw  the  face  of  Dingaan,  the 
prince,  his  brother,  and  the  face  cf  the  boy  Umslopogaas  and 
the  face  of  Nada,  my  daughter,  and  then  for  the  first  time  I 
knew  that  Umslopogaas  was  not  dead,  but  only  lost. 

Now  I  turned  in  my  vision,  and  looked  at  that  bank  of 
the  river  on  which  I  stood.  Then  I  saw  that  behind  the 
bank  was  a  cliff,  mighty  and  black,  and  in  the  cliff  were 
doors  of  ivory,  and  through  them  came  light  and  the  sound 
of  laughter ;  there  were  other  doors  also,  black  as  though 
fashioned  of  coal,  and  through  them  came  darkness  and  the 
sounds  of  groans.  I  saw  also  that  in  front  of  the  doors  was 
set  a  seat,  and  on  the  seat  was  the  figure  of  a  glorious  Woman. 
She  was  tall,  and  she  alone  was  white,  and  clad  in  robes  of 
white,  and  her  hair  was  like  gold  which  is  molten  in  the  fire, 
and  her  face  shone  like  the  midday  sun.  Then  I  saw  that 
those  who  came  up  out  of  the  river  stood  before  the  woman, 
the  water  yet  running  from  them,  and  cried  aloud  to  her. 

“  Hail,  In kosazana-y-Zulu !  Hail,  Queen  of  the  Heavens  !  ” 

Now  the  figure  of  the  glorious  woman  held  a  rod  in  either 
hand,  and  the  rod  in  her  right  hand  was  white  and  of  ivory, 
and  the  rod  in  her  left  hand  was  black  and  of  ebony.  And 
as  those  who  came  up  before  her  throne  greeted  her,  so  she 
pointed  now  with  the  wand  of  ivory  in  her  right  hand,  and 
now  with  the  wand  of  ebony  in  her  left  hand.  And  with 
the  wand  of  ivory  she  pointed  to  the  gates  of  ivory,  through 
which  came  light  and  laughter,  and  with  the  wand  of  ebony 
she  pointed  to  the  gates  of  coal,  through  which  came  black¬ 
ness  and  groans.  And  as  she  pointed,  so  those  who  greeted 
her  turned,  and  went,  some  through  the  gates  of  light  and 
some  through  the  gates  of  blackness. 


86 


NADA  THE  LILY 


Presently,  as  I  stood,  a  liandful  of  people  came  up  from 
the  bank  of  the  river.  I  looked  on  them  and  knew  them. 
There  was  Unandi,  the  mother  of  Chaka,  there  was  Anadi, 
my  wife,  and  Moosa,  my  son,  and  all  my  other  wives  and 
children,  and  those  who  had  perished  with  them. 

They  stood  before  the  figure  of  the  woman,  the  Princess 
of  the  Heavens,  to  whom  the  Umkulunkulu  has  given  it  to 
watch  over  the  people  of  the  Zulu,  and  cried  aloud,  “  Hail, 
Inkosazayia-y-Zulu !  Hail !  ” 

Then  she,  the  Inkosazana,  pointed  with  the  rod  of  ivory 
to  the  gates  of  ivory ;  but  still  they  stood  before  her,  not 
moving.  Now  the  woman  spoke  for  the  first  time,  in  a  low 
voice  that  was  sad  and  awful  to  hear. 

“Pass  in,  children  of  my  people,  pass  in  to  the  judgment. 
Why  tarry  ye  ?  Pass  in  through  the  gates  of  light.” 

But  still  they  tarried,  and  in  my  vision  Unandi  spoke: 
“We  tarry,  Queen  of  the  Heavens — we  tarry  to  pray  for 
justice  on  him  who  murdered  us.  I,  who  on  earth  was 
named  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  on  behalf  of  all  this  com¬ 
pany?  pray  to  thee,  Queen  of  the  Heavens,  for  justice  on 
him  who  murdered  us.” 

“  How  is  he  named  ?  ”  asked  the  voice  that  was  low  and 
awful. 

“  Chaka,  king  of  the  Zulus,”  answered  the  voice  of  Unandi. 
“  Chaka,  my  son.” 

“  Many  have  come  to  ask  for  vengeance  on  that  head,” 
said  the  voice  of  the  Queen  of  the  Heavens,  “  and  many 
more  shall  come.  Fear  not,  Unandi,  it  shall  fall.  Fear  not, 
Anadi  and  ye  wives  and  children  of  Mopo,  it  shall  fall,  I 
say.  With  the  spear  that  pierced  thy  breast,  Unandi,  shall 
the  breast  of  Chaka  be  also  pierced,  and,  ye  wives  and  chil¬ 
dren  of  Mopo,  the  hand  that  pierces  shall  be  the  hand  of 
Mopo.  As  I  guide  him  so  shall  he  go.  Ay,  I  will  teach  him 
to  wreak  my  vengeance  on  the  earth !  Pass  in,  children  of 

my  people — pass  in  to  the  judgment,  for  the  doom  of  Chaka 
is  written.” 

Thus  I  dreamed,  my  father.  Ay,  this  was  the  vision  that 
was  sent  me  as  I  lay  in  pain  and  misery  among  the  bones  of 
my  dead  and  in  the  ashes  of  my  kraal.  Thus  it  was  given 


THE  COUNSEL  OF  BALEKA 


87 

me  to  see  the  Inkosazana  of  the  Heavens  as  she  is  in  her 
own  place.  Twice  more  I  saw  her,  as  you  shall  hear,  but 
that  was  on  the  earth  and  with  my  waking  eyes.  Yes, 
thrice  has  it  been  given  to  me  in  all  to  look  upon  that  face 
that  I  shall  now  see  no  more  till  I  am  dead,  for  no  man  may 
look  four  times  on  the  Inkosazana  and  live.  Or  am  I  mad, 
my  father,  and  did  I  weave  these  visions  from  the  woof  of 
my  madness  ?  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  true  that  I  seemed 
to  see  them. 

I  woke  when  the  sky  was  grey  with  the  morning  light ;  it 
was  the  pain  of  my  burnt  hand  that  aroused  me  from  my 
sleep  or  from  my  stupor.  I  rose  shaking  the  ashes  from  me, 
and  went  without  the  kraal  to  wash  away  their  defilement. 
Then  I  returned,  and  sat  outside  the  gates  of  the  Emposeni , 
waiting  till  the  king’s  women,  whom  he  named  his  sisters, 
should  come  to  draw  water  according  to  their  custom.  At 
last  they  came,  and,  sitting  with  my  kaross  thrown  over  my 
face  to  hide  it,  I  looked  for  the  passing  of  Baleka.  Pres¬ 
ently  I  saw  her;  she  was  sad-faced,  and  walked  slowly,  her 
pitcher  on  her  head.  I  whispered  her  name,  and  she  drew 
aside  behind  an  aloe  bush,  and,  making  pretence  that  her  foot 
was  pierced  with  a  thorn,  she  lingered  till  the  other  women 
were  gone  by.  Then  she  came  up  to  me,  and  we  greeted 
one  another,  gazing  heavily  into  each  other’s  eyes. 

“In  an  ill  day  did  I  hearken  to  you,  Baleka,”  I  said,  “to 
you  and  to  the  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  and  save  your  child 
alive.  See  now  what  has  sprung  from  this  seed!  Dead  are 
all  my  house,  dead  is  the  Mother  of  the  Heavens — all  are 
dead — and  I  myself  have  been  put  to  the  torment  by  fire,” 
and  I  held  out  my  withered  hand  towards  her. 

“Ay,  Mopo,  my  brother,”  she  answered,  “but  flesh  is 
nearest  to  flesh,  and  I  should  think  little  of  it  were  not  my 
son  Umslopogaas  also  dead,  as  I  have  heard  but  now.” 

“You  speak  like  a  woman,  Baleka.  Is  it,  then,  nothing 
to  you  that  I,  your  brother,  have  lost — all  I  love  ?  ” 

“Fresh  seed  can  yet  be  raised  up  to  you,  my  brother,  but 
for  me  there  is  no  hope,  for  the  king  looks  on  me  no  more. 
I  grieve  for  you,  but  I  had  this  one  alone,  and  flesh  is  nearest 
to  flesh.  Think  you  that  I  shall  escape  ?  I  tell  you  nay. 


88 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


1  am  but  spared  for  a  little,  then  I  go  where  the  others  have 
gone.  Chaka  has  marked  me  for  the  grave ;  for  a  little 
while  I  may  be  left,  then  I  die:  he  does  but  play  with  me 
as  a  leopard  plays  with  a  wounded  buck.  I  care  not,  I  am 
weary,  but  I  grieve  for  the  boy ;  there  was  no  such  boy  in 
the  land.  Would  that  I  might  die  swiftly  and  go  to  seek 
him.” 

“  And  if  the  boy  is  not  dead,  Baleka,  what  then  ?  ” 

“What  is  that  you  said?”  she  answered,  turning  on  me 
with  wild  eyes.  “Oh,  say  it  again — again,  Mopo  !  I  would 
gladly  die  a  hundred  deaths  to  know  that  Umslopogaas  still 
lives.” 

“Nay,  Baleka,  I  know  nothing.  But  last  night  I  dreamed 
a  dream,”  and  I  told  her  all  my  dream,  and  also  of  that 
which  had  gone  before  the  dream. 

She  listened  as  one  listens  to  the  words  of  a  king  when  he 
passes  judgment  for  life  or  for  death. 

“  I  think  that  there  is  wisdom  in  your  dreams,  Mopo,” 
she  said  at  length.  “You  were  ever  a  strange  man,  to  whom 
the  gates  of  distance  are  no  bar.  Now  it  is  borne  in 
upon  my  heart  that  Umslopogaas  still  lives,  and  now  I  shall 
die  happy.  Yes,  gainsay  me  not;  I  shall  die,  I  know  it.  I 
read  it  in  the  king’s  eyes.  But  what  is  it  ?  It  is  nothing,  if 
only  the  prince  Umslopogaas  yet  lives.” 

“Your  love  is  great,  woman,”' I  said ;  “and  this  love  of 
yours  has  brought  many  woes  upon  us,  and  it  may  well  hap¬ 
pen  that  in  the  end  it  shall  all  be  for  nothing,  for  there  is 
an  evil  fate  upon  us.  Say  now,  what  shall  I  do  ?  Shall  I 
fly,  or  shall  I  abide  here,  taking  the  chance  of  things  ?  ” 

“  You  must  stay  here,  Mopo.  See,  now  !  This  is  in  the 
king’s  mind.  He  fears  because  of  the  death  of  his  mother 
at  his  own  hand — yes,  even  he ;  he  is  afraid  lest  the  people 
should  turn  upon  him  who  killed  his  own  mother.  There¬ 
fore  he  will  give  it  out  that  he  did  not  kill  her,  but  that 
she  perished  in  the  fire  which  was  called  down  upon  your 
kraals  by  witchcraft;  and,  though  all  men  know  the  lie, 
yet  none  shall  dare  to  gainsay  him.  As  he  said  to  you, 
there  will  be  a  smelling  out,  but  a  smelling  out  of  a  new  sort, 
for  he  and  you  shall  be  the  witch-finders,  and  at  that  smell- 


THE  COUNSEL  OF  BALEKA 


89 


ing  out  he  will  give  to  death  all  those  whom  he  fears,  all 
those  whom  he  knows  hate  him  for  his  wickedness  and  be¬ 
cause  with  his  own  hand  he  slew  his  mother.  For  this  cause, 
then,  he  will  save  you  alive,  Mopo — yes,  and  make  you  to 
be  great  in  the  land,  for  if,  indeed,  his  mother  Unandi 
died  through  witchcraft,  as  he  shall  say,  are  you  not  also 
wronged  with  him,  and  did  not  your  wives  and  children 
also  perish  by  witchcraft  ?  Therefore,  do  not  fly  ;  abide  here 
and  become  great — become  great  to  the  great  end  of  ven¬ 
geance,  Mopo,  my  brother.  You  have  much  wrong  to 
wreak ;  soon  you  will  have  more,  for  I,  too,  shall  be  gone, 
and  my  blood  also  shall  cry  for  vengeance  to  you.  Hearken, 
Mopo.  Are  there  not  other  princes  in  the  land?  What 
of  Dingaan,  what  of  Umhlangana,  what  of  Umpanda, 
brothers  to  the  king  ?  Do  not  these  also  desire  to  be 
kings  ?  Do  they  not  day  by  day  rise  from  sleep  feeling 
their  limbs  to  know  if  they  yet  live,  do  they  not  night  by 
night  lie  down  to  sleep  not  knowing  if  it  shall  be  their 
wives  that  they  shall  kiss  ere  dawn  or  the  red  assegai  of 
the  king  ?  Draw  near  to  them,  my  brother ;  creep  into 
their  hearts  and  learn  their  counsel  or  teach  them  yours  ;  so 
in  the  end  shall  Chaka  be  brought  to  that  gate  through 
which  your  wives  have  passed,  and  where  I  also  am  about  to 
tread.” 

Thus  Baleka  spoke  and  she  was  gone,  leaving  me  ponder¬ 
ing,  for  her  words  were  heavy  with  wisdom.  I  knew  well 
that  the  brothers  of  the  king  went  heavily  and  in  fear  of 
death,  for  his  shadow  was  on  them.  With  Panda,  indeed, 
little  could  be  done,  for  he  lived  softly,  speaking  always  as 
one  whose  wits  are  few.  But  Dingaan  and  Umhlangana 
were  of  another  wood,  and  from  them  might  be  fashioned  a 
kerrie  that  should  scatter  the  brains  of  Chaka  to  the  birds. 
But  the  time  to  speak  was  not  now ;  not  yet  was  the  cup 
of  Chaka  full. 

Then,  having  finished  my  thought,  I  rose,  and,  going  to 
the  kraal  of  my  friend,  I  doctored  my  burnt  hand,  that 
pained  me,  and  as  I  was  doctoring  it  there  came  a  mes¬ 
senger  to  me  summoning  me  before  the  king. 

I  went  in  before  the  king,  and  prostrated  myself,  calling 


9° 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


him  by  his  royal  names ;  but  he  took  me  by  the  hand  and 
raised  me  up,  speaking  softly. 

“  Rise,  Mopo,  my  servant !  ”  he  said.  “  Thou  hast  suf¬ 
fered  much  woe  because  of  the  witchcraft  of  thine  enemies. 
I,  I  have  lost  my  mother,  and  thou,  thou  hast  lost  thy  wives 
and  children.  Weep,  my  councillors,  weep,  because  I  have 
lost  my  mother,  and  Mopo,  my  servant,  has  lost  his  wives 
and  children,  by  the  witchcraft  of  our  foes  !  ” 

Then  all  the  councillors  wept  aloud,  while  Chaka  glared 
at  them. 

“  Hearken,  Mopo  !  ”  said  the  king,  when  the  weeping  was 
done.  “None  can  give  me  back  my  mother ;  but  I  can  give 
thee  more  wives,  and  thou  shalt  find  children.  Go  in 
among  the  damsels  who  are  reserved  to  the  king,  and  choose 
thee  six ;  go  in  among  the  cattle  of  the  king,  and  choose 
thee  ten  times  ten  of  the  best ;  call  upon  the  servants  of 
the  king  that  they  build  up  thy  kraal  greater  and  fairer 
than  it  was  before!  These  things  I  give  thee  freely;  but 
thou  shalt  have  more,  Mopo — yea  !  thou  shalt  have  ven¬ 
geance  !  On  the  first  day  of  the  new  moon  I  summon  a  great 
meeting,  a  bandhla  of  all  the  Zulu  people :  yes,  thine  own 
tribe,  the  Langeni,  shall  be  there  also.  Then  we  will  mourn 
together  over  our  woes  ;  then,  too,  we  will  learn  who  brought 
these  woes  upon  us.  Go  now,  Mopo,  go !  And  go  ye  also, 
my  councillors,  leaving  me  to  weep  alone  because  my 
mother  is  dead !  ” 

Thus,  then,  my  father,  did  the  words  of  Baleka  come  true^ 
and  thus,  because  of  the  crafty  policy  of  Chaka,  I  grew 
greater  in  the  land  than  ever  I  had  been  before.  I  chose 
the  cattle,  they  were  fat ;  I  chose  the  wives,  they  were  fair ; 
but  I  took  no  pleasure  in  them,  nor  were  any  more  chil¬ 
dren  born  to  me.  For  my  heart  was  like  a  withered  stick; 
the  sap  and  strength  had  gone  from  my  heart — it  was 
drawn  out  in  the  fire  of  Chaka’s  hut,  and  lost  in  my  sor¬ 
row  for  those  whom  I  had  loved. 


‘  He  ran  in  upon  her  and  smote  her  on  the  head.’ 


THE  TALE  OF  GALAZI  THE  WOLF 


91 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  TALE  OF  GALAZI  THE  WOLF. 

Now,  my  father,  I  will  go  back  a  little,  for  my  tale  is 
long  and  winds  in  and  out  like  a  river  in  a  plain,  and  tell 
of  the  fate  of  Umslopogaas  when  the  lion  had  taken  him, 
as  he  told  it  to  me  in  the  after  years. 

The  lioness  bounded  away,  and  in  her  mouth  was  Um¬ 
slopogaas.  Once  he  struggled,  but  she  bit  him  hard,  so 
he  lay  quiet  in  her  mouth,  and  looking  back  he  saw  the 
face  of  Nada  as  she  ran  from  the  fence  of  thorns,  crying 
“  Save  him  !  ”  He  saw  her  face,  he  heard  her  words,  then 
he  saw  and  heard  little  more,  for  the  world  grew  dark  to 
him  and  he  passed,  as  it  were,  into  a  deep  sleep.  Presently 
Umslopogaas  awoke  again,  feeling  pain  in  his  thigh,  where 
the  lioness  had  bitten  him,  and  heard  a  sound  of  shout¬ 
ing.  He  looked  up;  near  to  him  stood  the  lioness  that 
had  loosed  him  from  her  jaws.  She  was  snorting  with 
rage,  and  in  front  of  her  was  a  lad  long  and  strong,  with 
a  grim  face,  and  a  wolfs  hide,  black  and  grey,  bound 
about  his  shoulders  in  such  fashion  that  the  upper  jaw 
and  teeth  of  the  wolf  rested  on  his  head.  He  stood  before 
the  lioness,  shouting,  and  in  one  hand  he  held  a  large  war- 
shield,  and  in  the  other  he  grasped  a  heavy  club  shod  with 
iron. 

Now  the  lioness  crouched  herself  to  spring,  growling  ter¬ 
ribly,  but  the  lad  with  the  club  did  not  wait  for  her  onset. 
He  ran  in  upon  her  and  struck  her  on  the  head  with  the 
club.  He  smote  hard  and  well,  but  this  did  not  kill  her, 
for  she  reared  herself  upon  her  hind  legs  and  struck  at  him 
heavily.  He  caught  the  blow  upon  his  shield,  but  the  shield 
was  driven  against  his  breast  so  strongly  that  he  fell  back¬ 
wards  beneath  it, ‘and  lay  there  howling  like  a  wolf  in  pain. 
Then  the  lioness  sprang  upon  him  and  worried  him.  Still, 
because  of  the  shield,  as  yet  she  could  not  come  at  him  to 
slay  him ;  but  Umslopogaas  saw  that  this  might  not  endure, 


92 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


for  presently  the  shield  would  be  torn  aside  and  the  stranger 
must  be  killed.  Now  in  the  breast  of  the  lioness  still  stood 
the  half  of  Umslopogaas’s  broken  spear,  and  its  blade  was  a 
span  deep  in  her  breast.  Then  this  thought  came  into  the 
mind  of  Umslopogaas,  that  he  would  drive  tlie  spear  home 
or  die.  So  he  rose  swiftly,  for  strength  came  back  to  him 
in  his  need,  and  ran  to  where  the  lioness  worried  at  him 
who  lay  beneath  the  shield.  She  did  not  heed  him,  so  he 
flung  himself  upon  his  knees  before  her,  and,  seizing  the  haft 
of  the  broken  spear,  drove  it  deep  into  her  and  wrenched  it 
round.  Now  she  saw  Umslopogaas  and  turned  roaring, 
and  clawed  at  him,  tearing  his  breast  and  arms.  Then, 
as  he  lay,  he  heard  a  mighty  howling,  and,  behold !  grey 
wolves  and  black  leaped  upon  the  lioness  and  rent  and 
worried  her  till  she  fell  and  was  torn  to  pieces  by  them. 
After  this  the  senses  of  Umslopogaas  left  him  again,  and 
the  light  went  out  of  his  eyes  so  that  he  was  as  one  dead. 

At  length  his  mind  came  back  to  him,  and  with  it  his 
memory,  and  he  remembered  the  lioness  and  looked  up 
to  find  her.  But  he  did  not  find  her,  and  he  saw  that  he 
lay  in  a  cave  upon  a  bed  of  grass,  while  all  about  him  were 
the  skins  of  beasts,  and  at  his  side  was  a  pot  filled  with 
water.  He  put  out  his  hand  and,  taking  the  pot,  drank  of 
the  water,  and  then  he  saw  that  his  arm  was  wasted  as  with 
sickness,  and  that  his  breast  was  thick  with  scars  scarcely 
skinned  over. 

Now  while  he  lay  and  wondered,  the  mouth  of  the  cave 
was  darkened,  and  through  it  entered  that  same  lad  who  had 
done  battle  with  the  lioness  and  been  overthrown  by  her, 
bearing  a  dead  buck  upon  his  shoulders.  He  put  down  the 
buck  upon  the  ground,  and,  walking  to  where  Umslopogaas 
lay,  looked  at  him. 

“  Ou  !  ”  he  said,  “  your  eyes  are  open — do  you,  then,  live, 
stranger  ?  ” 

“I  live,”  answered  Umslopogaas,  “and  I  am  hungry.” 

“  It  is  time,”  said  the  other,  “  since  with  toil  I  bore  you 
here  through  the  forest,  for  twelve  days  you  have  lain  with¬ 
out  sense,  drinking  water  only.  So  deeply  had  the  lion 
clawed  you  that  I  thought  of  you  as  dead.  Twice  I  was 


THE  TALE  OF  GALAZI  THE  WOLF 


93T 


near  to  killing  you,  that  you  might  cease  to  suffer  and  I  to 
be  troubled ;  but  I  held  my  hand,  because  of  a  word  which 
came  to  me  from  one  who  is  dead.  Now  eat,  that  your 
strength  may  return  to  you.  Afterwards  we  will  talk/’ 

So  Umslopogaas  ate,  and  little  by  little  his  health  returned 
to  him — every  day  a  little.  And  afterwards,  as  they  sat  at 
night  by  the  fire  in  the  cave  they  spoke  together. 

“  How  are  you  named  ?  ”  asked  Umslopogaas  of  the  other. 

“I  am  named  Galazi  the  Wolf/’  he  answered,  “and  I  am 
of  Zulu  blood — ay,  of  the  blood  of  Chaka  the  king;  for 
the  father  of  Senzangacona,  the  father  of  Chaka,  was  my 
great-grandfather.” 

“  Whence  came  you,  Galazi  ?  ” 

“  I  came  from  Swaziland — from  the  tribe  of  the  Hala- 
kazi,  which  I  should  rule.  This  is  the  story  :  Siguyana,  my 
grandfather,  was  a  younger  brother  of  Senzangacona,  the 
father  of  Chaka.  But  he  quarrelled  with  Senzangacona, 
and  became  a  wanderer.  With  certain  of  the  people  of  the 
Umtetwa  he  wandered  into  Swaziland,  and  sojourned  with 
the  Halakazi  tribe  in  their  great  caves ;  and  the  end  of  it 
was  that  he  killed  the  chief  of  the  tribe  and  took  his  place. 
Aftei  he  was  dead,  my  father  ruled  in  his  place ;  but  there 
was  a  great  party  in  the  tribe  that  hated  his  rule  because 
he  was  of  the  Zulu  race,  and  it  would  have  set  up  a  chief 
of  the  old  Swazi  blood  in  his  place.  Still,  they  could  not 
do  this,  for  my  father’s  hand  was  heavy  on  the  people. 
Now  I  was  the  only  son  of  my  father  by  his  head  wife,  and 
born  to  be  chief  after  him,  and  therefore  those  of  the  Swazi 
party,  and  they  were  many  and  great,  hated  me  also.  So 
matters  stood  till  last  year  in  the  winter,  and  then  my 
father  set  his  heart  upon  killing  twenty  of  the  headmen, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  because  he  knew  that  they 
plotted  against  him.  But  the  headmen  learned  what  was 
to  come,  and  they  prevailed  upon  a  wife  of  my  father,  a 
woman  of  their  own  blood,  to  poison  him.  So  she  poisoned 
him  in  the  night  and  in  the  morning  it  was  told  me 
that  my  father  lay  sick  and  summoned  me,  and  I  went 
to  him.  In  his  hut  I  found  him,  and  he  was  writhing  with 
pain. 


94 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  1  What  is  it,  my  father  ?  ’  I  said.  1  Who  has  done  this 
evil  ? ’ 

“  ‘  It  is  this,  my  son/  he  gasped,  ‘  that  I  am  poisoned, 
and  she  stands  yonder  who  has  done  the  deed.’  And  he 
pointed  to  the  woman,  who  stood  at  the  side  of  the  hut  near 
the  door,  her  chin  upon  her  breast,  trembling  as  she  looked 
upon  the  fruit  of  her  wickedness. 

“Now  the  girl  was  young  and  fair,  and  we  had  been 
friends,  yet  I  say  that  I  did  not  pause,  for  my  heart  was  mad 
in  me.  I  did  not  pause,  but,  seizing  my  spear,  I  ran  at  her, 
and,  though  she  cried  for  mercy,  I  killed  her  with  the  spear. 

“  ‘  That  was  well  done,  Galazi !  ’  said  my  father.  (  But 
when  I  am  gone,  look  to  yourself,  my  son,  for  these  Swazi 
dogs  will  drive  you  out  and  rob  you  of  your  place !  But  if 
they  drive  you  out  and  you  still  live,  swear  this  to  me — 
that  you  will  not  rest  till  you  have  avenged  me.’ 

“  ‘  I  swear  it,  my  father,’  I  answered.  ‘  I  swear  that  I 
will  stamp  out  the  men  of  the  tribe  of  Halakazi,  every  one 
of  them,  except  those  of  my  own  blood,  and  bring  their 
women  to  slavery  and  their  children  to  bonds  !  ’ 

“  1  Big  words  for  a  young  mouth,’  said  my  father.  1  Yet 
shall  you  live  to  bring  these  things  about,  Galazi.  This  I 
know  of  you  now  in  my  hour  of  death:  you  shall  be  a 
wanderer  for  the  few  years  of  your  life,  child  of  Siguyana, 
and  wandering  in  another  land  you  shall  die  a  man’s 
death,  and  not  such  a  death  as  yonder  witch  has  given  to 
me.’  Then,  having  spoken  thus,  he  lifted  up  his  head, 
looked  at  me,  and  with  a  great  groan  he  died. 

“  Now  I  passed  out  of  the  hut  dragging  the  body  of  the 
dead  girl  after  me.  In  front  of  the  hut  were  gathered 
many  headmen  waiting  for  the  end,  and  I  saw  that  their 
looks  were  sullen. 

“  ‘The  chief,  my  father,  is  dead!’  I  cried  in  a  loud  voice, 
‘  and  I,  Galazi,  who  am  the  chief,  have  slain  her  who  mur¬ 
dered  him !  ’  And  I  rolled  the  body  of  the  girl  over  on  to 
her  back  so  that  they  might  look  upop.  her  face. 

“Now  the  father  of  the  girl  was  among  those  who  stood 
before  me,  he  who  had  persuaded  her  to  the  deed,  and  he 
was  maddened  at  the  sight. 


THE  TALE  OF  GALAZI  THE  WOLF 


95 


“  1  What,  my  brothers  ?  ’  he  cried.  ‘  Shall  we  suffer  that 
this  young  Zulu  dog,  this  murderer  of  a  girl,  be  chief  over 
us  ?  Never  !  The  old  lion  is  dead,  now  for  the  cub !  ’  And 
he  ran  at  me  with  spear  aloft. 

“  ‘  Never  ! ’  shouted  the  others,  and  they,  too,  ran  towards 
me,  shaking  their  spears. 

“I  waited,  I  did  not  hasten,  for  I  knew  well  that  I  should 
not  die  then,  I  knew  it  from  my  father’s  last  words.  I 
waited  till  the  man  was  near  me ;  he  thrust,  I  sprang  aside 
and  drove  my  spear  through  him,  and  on  the  daughter’s 
body  the  father  fell  dead.  Then  I  shouted  aloud  and  rushed 
through  them.  None  touched  me;  none  could  catch  me; 
the  man  does  not  live  who  can  overtake  me  when  my  feet 
are  on  the  ground  and  I  am  away.” 

“  Yet  I  might  try,”  said  Umslopogaas,  smiling,  for  of  all 
lads  among  the  Zulus  he  was  the  swiftest  of  foot. 

“  First  walk  again,  then  run,”  answered  Galazi. 

“Take  up  the  tale,”  quoth  Umslopogaas;  “it  is  a  merry 
one.” 

“  Something  is  left  to  tell,  stranger.  I  fled  from  the 
country  of  the  Halakazi,  nor  did  I  linger  at  all  in  the  land 
of  the  Swazis,  but  came  on  swiftly  into  the  Zulu.  Now,  it 
was  in  my  mind  to  go  to  Chaka  and  tell  him  of  my  wrongs, 
asking  that  he  would  send  an  impi  to  make  an  end  of  the 
Halakazi.  But  while  I  journeyed,  finding  food  and  shelter 
as  I  might,  I  came  one  night  to  the  kraal  of  an  old  man 
who  knew  Chaka,  and  had  known  Siguyana,  my  grand¬ 
father,  and  to  him,  when  I  had  stayed  there  two  da3Ts,  I 
told  my  tale.  But  the  old  man  counselled  me  against  my 
plan,  saying  that  Chaka,  the  king,  did  not  love  to  welcome 
shoots  sprung  from  the  royal  stock,  and  would  kill  me ; 
moreover,  the  man  offered  me  a  place  in  his  kraal.  Now,  I 
held  that  there  was  wisdom  in  his  words,  and  thought  no 
more  of  standing  before  the  king  to  cry  for  justice,  for  he 
who  cries  to  kings  for  justice  sometimes  finds  death.  Still, 
I  would  not  stay  in  the  kraal  of  the  old  man,  for  he  had 
sons  to  come  after  him  who  looked  on  me  with  no  liking; 
moreover,  I  wished  to  be  a  chief  myself,  even  if  I  lived 
alone.  So  I  left  the  kraal  by  night  and  walked  on,  not 
knowing  where  I  should  go. 


96 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“Now,  on  the  third  night,  I  came  to  a  little  kraal  that 
stands  on  the  farther  side  of  the  river  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain.  In  front  of  the  kraal  sat  a  very  old  woman 
basking  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  She  saw  me,  and 
spoke  to  me,  saying,  ‘  Young  man,  you  are  tall  and  strong 
and  swift  of  foot.  Would  you  earn  a  famous  weapon,  a 
club,  that  destroys  all  who  stand  before  it  ?  ’ 

“  ‘  I  said  that  I  wished  to  have  such  a  club,  and  asked  what 
I  should  do  to  win  it.’ 

“ ‘You  shall  do  this,’  said  the  old  woman:  ‘to-morrow 
morning,  at  the  first  light,  you  shall  go  up  to  yonder  moun¬ 
tain/  and  she  pointed  to  the  mountain  where  you  are 
now,  stranger,  on  which  the  stone  Witch  sits  forever  wait¬ 
ing  for  the  world  to  die.  ‘Two-thirds  of  the  way  up 
the  mountain  you  will  come  to  a  path  that  is  difficult  to 
climb.  You  shall  climb  the  path  and  enter  a  gloomy  forest. 
It  is  very  dark  in  the  forest,  but  you  must  push  through  it 
till  you  come  to  an  open  place  with  a  wall  of  rock  behind 
it.  In  the  wall  of  rock  is  a  cave,  and  in  the  cave  you  will 
find  the  bones  of  a  man.  Bring  down  the  bones  in  a  bag, 
and  I  will  give  you  the  club  !  ’ 

“  While  she  spoke  thus  people  came  out  of  the  kraal  and 
listened. 

“  ‘  Do  not  heed  her,  young  man/  they  said,  ‘  unless  you 
are  weary  of  life.  Do  not  heed  her :  she  is  crazy.  The 
mountain  is  haunted ;  it  is  a  place  of  ghosts.  Look  at  the 
stone  Witch  who  sits  upon  it !  Evil  spirits  live  in  that  for¬ 
est,  and  no  man  has  walked  there  for  many  years.  This 
woman’s  son  was  foolish :  he  went  to  wander  in  the  forest, 
saying  that  he  cared  nothing  for  ghosts,  and  the  Amatongo, 
the  ghost-folk,  killed  him.  That  was  many  years  ago,  and 
none  have  dared  to  seek  his  bones.  Ever  she  sits  here  and 
asks  of  the  passers  by  that  they  should  bring  them  to  her, 
offering  the  great  club  for  a  reward ;  but  they  dare  not !  ’ 

“  ‘  They  lie  !  ’  said  the  old  woman.  ‘  There  are  no  ghosts 
there.  The  ghosts  live  only  in  their  cowardly  hearts ;  there 
are  but  wolves.  I  know  that  the  bones  of  my  son  lie  in 
the  cave,  for  I  have  seen  them  in  a  dream ;  but,  alas !  my  old 
limbs  are  too  weak  to  carry  me  up  the  mountain  path,  and 


THE  TALE  OF  GALAZI  THE  WOLF 


97 


all  these  are  cowards ;  there  is  no  man  among  them  since 
the  Zulus  killed  my  husband,  covering  him  with  wounds !  ’ 

“Now,  I  listened,  answering  nothing;  but  when  all  had 
done,  I  asked  to  see  the  club  which  should  be  given  to  him 
who  dared  to  face  the  Amatongo,  the  spirits  who  lived  in 
the  forest  upon  the  Ghost  Mountain.  Then  the  old  woman 
rose,  and  creeping  on  her  hands  went  into  the  hut. 
Presently  she  returned  again,  dragging  the  great  club  after 
her. 

“Look  at  it,  stranger!  look  at  it!  Was  there  ever  such 
a  club?”  And  Galazi  held  it  up  before  the  eyes  of  Umslopo- 
gaas. 

In  truth,  my  father,  that  was  a  club,  for  I,  Mopo, 
saw  it  in  after  days.  It  was  great  and  knotty,  black  as 
iron  that  had  been  smoked  in  the  tire,  and  shod  with  metal 
that  was  worn  smooth  with  smiting. 

“  I  looked  at  it,”  went  on  Galazi,  “  and  I  tell  you,  stranger, 
a  great  desire  came  into  my  heart  to  possess  it. 

“‘How  is  this  club  named?’  I  asked  of  the  old  woman. 

“‘It  is  named  Watcher  of  the  Fords/  she  answered, 
‘and  it  has  not  watched  in  vain.  Five  men  have  held  that 
club  in  war  and  a  hundred-and-seventy-and- three  have 
given  up  their  lives  beneath  its  strokes.  He  who  held  it 
last  slew  twenty  before  he  was  slain  himself,  for  this  for¬ 
tune  goes  with  the  club — that  he  who  owns  it  shall  die  hold¬ 
ing  it,  but  in  a  noble  fashion.  There  is  but  one  other 
weapon  to  match  with  it  in  Zululand,  and  that  is  the  great 
axe  of  Jikiza,  the  chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  who  dwells 
in  the  kraal  yonder ;  the  ancient  horn-hafted  Imbubuzi,  the 
Groan-Maker,  that  brings  victory.  Were  axe,  Groan-Maker, 
and  club,  Watcher  of  the  Fords,  side  by  side,  there  are  no 
thirty  men  in  Zululand  who  could  stand  before  them.  I 
have  said.  Choose!’  And  the  aged  woman  watched  me 
cunningly  through  her  horny  eyes. 

“‘She  speaks  truly  now,’  said  one  of  those  who  stood  near. 

‘  Let  the  club  be,  young  man :  he  who  owns  it  smites  great 
blows  indeed,  but  in  the  end  he  dies  by  the  assegai.  None 
dare  own  the  Watcher  of  the  Fords.’ 

“  ‘  A  good  death  and  a  swift !  ’  I  answered.  And  pondered 

H 


9s 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


a  time,  while  still  the  old  woman  watched  me  through  her 
horny  eyes.  At  length  she  rose,  ‘La!  la!’  she  said,  ‘the 
Watcher  is  not  for  this  one.  This  is  but  a  child,  I  must  seek 
me  a  man,  I  must  seek  me  a  man  !  ’ 

“  ‘Not  so  fast,  old  wife,’  I  said.  ‘Will  you  lend  me  this 
club  to  hold  in  my  hand  while  I  go  to  find  the  bones  of  your 
son  and  to  snatch  them  from  the  people  of  the  ghosts  ?  ’ 
“‘Lend  you  the  Watcher,  boy?  Nay,  nay!  I  should 
see  little  of  you  again  or  of  the  good  club  either.’ 

“  ‘  I  am  no  thief,’  I  answered.  ‘  If  the  ghosts  kill  me, 
you  will  see  me  no  more,  or  the  club  either ;  but  if  I  live  I 
will  bring  you  back  the  bones,  or,  if  I  do  not  find  them, 
1  will  render  the  Watcher  into  your  hands  again.  At 
the  least  I  say  that  if  you  will  not  lend  me  the  club,  then 
1  will  not  go  into  the  haunted  place.’ 

“  ‘  Boy,  your  eyes  are  honest,’  she  said,  still  peering  at 
me.  ‘  Take  the  Watcher,  go  seek  the  bones.  If  you  die, 
let  the  club  be  lost  with  you  5  if  you  fail,  bring  it  back  to 
me ;  but  if  you  win  the  bones,  then  it  is  yours,  and  it  shall 
bring  you  glory,  and  you  shall  die  a  man’s  death  at  last 
holding  him  aloft  among  the  dead.’ 

“  So  on  the  morrow  at  dawn  I  took  the*elub  Watcher  in 
my  hand  and  a  little  dancing  shield,  and  made  ready  to 
start.  The  old  woman  blessed  me  and  bade  me  farewell, 
but  the  other  people  of  the  kraal  mocked,  saying:  ‘A  little 
man  for  so  big  a  club !  Beware,  little  man,  lest  the  ghosts 
use  the  club  on  you!’  So  they  spoke,  but  one  girl  in  the 
kraal — she  is  a  granddaughter  of  the  old  woman — led  me 
aside,  praying  me  not  to  go,  for  the  forest  on  the  Ghost 
Mountain  had  an  evil  name :  none  dared  walk  there,  since  it 
was  certainly  full  of  spirits,  who  howled  like  wolves.  I 
thanked  the  girl,  but  to  the  others  I  said  nothing,  only 
I  asked  of  the  path  to  the  Ghost  Mountain.  • 

“Now,  stranger,  if  you  have  strength,  come  to  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  and  look  out,  for  the  moon  is  bright.” 

So  Umslopogaas  rose  and  crept  through  the  narrow 
mouth  of  the  cave.  There,  above  him,  a  great  grey  peak 
towered  high  into  the  air,  shaped  like  a  seated  woman,  her 
chin  resting  upon  her  breast,  the  place  where  the  cave  was 


THE  TALE  OF  GALAZl  THE  WOLF 


99 


being,  as  it  were,  on  the  lap  of  the  woman.  Below  this 
phme  the  rock  sloped  sharply,  and  was  clothed  with  little 
bushes.  Lower  down  yet  was  a  forest,  great  and  dense, 
that  stretched  to  the  top  of  a  cliff,  and  at  the  foot  of  the 
cliff,  beyond  the  waters  of  the  river,  lay  the  wide  plains  of 
Zululand. 

“  Yonder,  stranger,”  said  Galazi,  pointing  with  the  club 
Watcher  of  the  Fords  far  away  to  the  plain  beneath; 
“yonder  is  the  kraal  where  the  aged  woman  dwelt.  There 
is  the  cliff  rising  from  the  plain,  up  which  I  must  climb ; 
there  is  the  forest  where  dwell  the  Amatongo ,  the  people 
of  the  ghosts  ;  there,  on  the  hither  side  of  the  forest,  runs 
the  path  to  the  cave,  and  here  is  the  cave  itself.  See  this 
stone  lying  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  it  turns  thus,  shutting 
up  the  entrance  hole — it  turns  gently;  though  it  is  so  large, 
a  child  may  move  it,  for  it  rests  upon  a  sharp  point  of  rock. 
Only  mark  this,  the  stone  must  not  be  pushed  too  far ;  for, 
look!  if  it  came  to  here,”  and  he  pointed  to  a  mark  in  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  “  then  that  man  need  be  strong  who  can 
draw  it  back  again,  though  I  have  done  it  myself,  who  am 
not  a  man  full  grown.  But  if  it  pass  beyond  this  mark, 
then,  see,  it  wilBroll  down  the  neck  of  the  cave  like  a  pebble 
down  the  neck  of  a  gourd,  and  I  think  that  two  men,  one 
striving  from  within  and  one  dragging  from  without,  scarcely 
could  avail  to  push  it  clear.  Look  now,  I  close  the  stone,  as 
is  my  custom  of  a  night,  so,” — and  he  grasped  the  rock  and 
swung  it  round  upon  its  pivot,  on  which  it  turned  as  a  door 
turns.  “Thus  I  leave  it,  and  though,  except  those  to  whom 
the  secret  is  known,  none  would  guess  that  a  cave  was  here, 
yet  it  can  be  rolled  back  with  a  push  of  the  hand.  But 
enough  of  the  stone.  Enter  again,  wanderer,  and  I  will  go 
forward  with  my  tale,  for  it  is  long  and  strange. 

“  I  started  from  the  kraal  of  the  old  woman,  and  the  people 
of  the  kraal  followed  me  to  the  brink  of  the  river.  It  was 
in  flood,  and  few  had  dared  to  cross  it. 

“  ‘  Ha !  ha !’  they  cried,  ‘now  your  journey  is  done,  little 
man;  watch  by  the  ford  you  who  would  win  the  Watcher  of 
the  Ford !  Beat  the  water  with  the  club,  perhaps  so  it 
shall  grow  gentle  that  your  feet  may  pass  it !  ’ 

h  2 


IOO 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“I  answered  nothing  to  their  mocking,  only  I  bound  the 
shield  upon  my  shoulders  with  a  string,  and  the  bag  that 
I  had  brought  I  made  fast  about  my  middle,  and  I  held  the 
great  club  in  my  teeth  by  the  thong.  Then  I  plunged  into 
the  river  and  swam.  Twice,  stranger,  the  current  bore  me 
under,  and  those  on  the  bank 'shouted  that  I  was  lost;  but 
I  rose  again,  and  in  the  end  I  won  the  farther  shore. 

“  Now  those  on  the  bank  mocked  no  more ;  they  stood  still 
wondering,  and  I  walked  on  till  I  came  to  the  foot  of  the 
cliff.  That  cliff  is  hard  to  climb,  stranger ;  when  you  are 
strong  upon  your  feet,  I  will  show  you  the  path.  Yet 
I  found  a  way  up  it,  and  by  midday  I  came  to  the  forest. 
Here,  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  I  rested  awhile,  and  ate  a 
little  food  that  I  had  brought  with  me  in  the  bag,  for  now 
I  must  gather  up  my  strength  to  meet  the  ghosts,  if  ghosts 
there  were.  Then  I  rose  and  plunged  into  the  forest.  The 
trees  are  great  that  grow  there,  stranger,  and  their  leaves 
are  so  thick  that  in  certain  places  the  light  is  as  that  of 
night  when  the  moon  is  young.  Still,  I  wended  on,  often 
losing  my  path.  But  from  time  to  time  between  the  tops 
of  the  trees  I  saw  the  figure  of  the  grey  stone  woman  who 
sits  on  the  top  of  Ghost  Mountain,  and  shaped  my  course 
towards  her  knees.  My  heart  beat  as  I  travelled  through 
the  forest  in  dark  and  loneliness  like  that  of  the  night,  and 
ever  I  looked  round  searching  for  the  eyes  of  the  Amatongo. 
But  I  saw  no  spirits,  though  at  times  great  spotted  snakes 
crept  from  before  my  feet,  and  perhaps  these  were  the 
Amatongo.  At  times,  also,  I  caught  glimpses  of  some  grey 
wolf  as  he  slunk  from  tree  to  tree  watching  me,  and  always 
high  above  my  head  the  wind  sighed  in  the  great  boughs 
with  a  sound  like  the  sighing  of  women. 

“  Still,  I  went  on,  singing  to  myself  as  I  went,  that  my 
heart  might  not  faint  with  fear,  and  at  length,  towards  the 
end  of  the  second  hour,  the  trees  grew  fewer,  the  ground 
sloped  upwards,  and  the  light  poured  down  from  the  heav¬ 
ens  again.  But,  stranger,  you  are  weary,  and  the  night 
wears  on ;  sleep  now,  and  to-morrow  I  will  end  the  tale. 
Say,  first,  how  are  you  named  ?  ” 

“I  am  named  Umslopogaas,  son  of  Mopo,”  he  answered, 


GALAZI  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  WOLVES  ioi 

“and  my  tale  shall  be  told  when  yours  is  done;  let  us 
sleep!” 

Now  ^  hen  Galazi  heard  this  name  he  started  and  was 
troubled,  but  said  nothing.  So  they  laid  them  down  to 

sleep,  and  Galazi  wrapped  Umslopogaas  with  the  skins  of 
bucks. 

But  Galazi  the  Wolf  was  so  hardy  that  he  lay  on  the 
bare  rock  and  had  no  covering.  So  they  slept,  and  without 

the  door  of  the  cave  the  wolves  howled,  scenting  the  blood 
of  men. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

GALAZI  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  WOLVES. 

On  the  morrow  Umslopogaas  awoke,  and  knew  that 
strength  was  growing  on  him  fast.  Still,  all  that  day  he 
rested  in  the  cave,  while  Galazi  went  out  to  hunt.  In  the 
evening  he  returned,  bearing  a  buck  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
they  skinned  the  buck  and  ate  of  it  as  they  sat  by  the  fire. 
And  when  the  sun  was  down  Galazi  took  up  his  tale. 

“Now  Umslopogaas,  son  of  Mopo,  hear!  I  had  passed 
the  forest,  and  had  come,  as  it  were,  to  the  legs  of  the  old 
stone  Witch  who  sits  up  aloft  there  forever  waiting  for  the 
world  to  die.  Here  the  sun  shone  merrily,  here  lizards  ran 
and  birds  flew  to  and  fro,  and  though  it  grew  towards  the 

evening — for  I  had  wandered  long  in  the  forest _ I  was 

afraid  no  more.  So  I  climbed  up  the  steep  rock,  where  little 
bushes  grow  like  hair  on  the  arms  of  a  man,  till  at  last  I 
came  to  the  knees  of  the  stone  Witch,  which  are  the  space 
before  the  cave.  I  lifted  my  head  over  the  brink  of  the 
rock  and  looked,  and  I  tell  you,  Umslopogaas,  my  blood  ran 
cold  and  my  heart  turned  to  water,  for  there,  before  the 
cave,  rolled  wolves,  many  and  great.  Some  slept  and 
growled  in  their  sleep,  some  gnawed  at  the  skulls  of  dead 
game,  some  sat  up  like  dogs  and  their  tongues  hung  from 
their  grinning  jaws.  I  looked,  I  saw,  and  beyond  I  dis¬ 
covered  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  where  the  bones  of  the  boy 


102 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


should  be.  But  I  had  no  wish  to  come  there  being  afraid 
of  the  wolves,  for  now  I  knew  that  these  were  the  ghosts 
who  live  upon  the  mountain.  So  I  bethought  me  that 
I  would  fly,  and  turned  to  go.  And,  Umslopogaas,  even 
as  I  turned,  the  great  club  Watcher  of  the  Fords  swung 
round  and  smote  me  on  the  back  with  such  a  blow  as  a 
man  smites  upon  a  coward.  Now  whether  this  was  by 
chance  or  whether  the  Watcher  would  shame  him  who  bore 
it,  say  you,  for  I  do  not  know.  At  the  least,  shame  entered 
into  me.  Should  I  go  back  to  be  mocked  by  the  people  of 
the  kraal  and  by  the  old  woman  ?  And  if  I  wished  to  go, 
should  I  not  be  killed  by  the  ghosts  at  night  in  the  forest  ? 
Nay,  it  was  better  to  die  in  the  jaws  of  the  wolves,  and  at 
once. 

“ Thus  I  thought  in  my  heart;  then,  tarrying  not,  lest 
fear  should  come  upon  me  again,  I  swung  up  the  Watcher, 
and  crying  aloud  the  war-cry  of  the  Halakazi,  I  sprang  over 
the  brink  of  the  rock  and  rushed  upon  the  wolves.  They, 
too,  sprang  up  and  stood  howling,  with  bristling  hides  and 
fiery  eyes,  and  the  smell  of  them  came  into  my  nostrils.  Yet 
when  they  saw  it  was  a  man  that  rushed  upon  them,  they 
were  seized  with  sudden  fear  and  fled  this  way  and  that, 
leaping  by  great  bounds  from  the  place  of  rock,  which  is 
the  knees  of  the  stone  Witch,  so  that  presently  I  stood  alone 
in  front  of  the  cave.  Now,  having  conquered  the  wolf 
ghosts  and  no  blow  struck,  my  heart  swelled  within  me,  and 
I  walked  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave  proudly,  as  a  cock  walks 
upon  a  roof,  and  looked  in  through  the  opening.  As  it 
chanced,  the  sinking  sun  shone  at  this  hour  full  into  the 
cave,  so  that  all  its  darkness  was  made  red  with  light. 
Then,  once  more,  Umslopogaas,  I  grew  afraid  indeed,  for  I 
could  see  the  end  of  the  cave. 

“  Look  now !  There  is  a  hole  in  the  wall  of  the  cave,  where 
the  firelight  falls  below  the  shadow  of  the  roof,  twice  the 
height  of  a  man  from  the  floor.  It  is  a  narrow  hole  and  a 
high,  is  it  not  ? — as  though  one  had  cut  it  with  iron,  and  a 
man  might  sit  in  it,  his  legs  hanging  towards  the  floor  of 
the  cave.  Ay,  Umslopogaas,  a  man  might  sit  in  it,  might 
he  not  ?  And  there  a  man  sat,  or  that  which  had  been  a 


GALAZT  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  WOLVES  103 


man.  There  sat  the  bones  of  a  man,  and  the  black  skin  had 
withered  on  his  bones,  holding  them  together,  and  making 
him  awful  to  see.  His  hands  were  open  beside  him,  he 
leaned  upon  them,  and  in  the  right  hand  was  a  piece  of 
hide  from  his  moocha.  It  was  half  eaten,  Umslopogaas;  he 
had  eaten  it  before  he  died.  His  eyes  also  were  bound 
round  with  a  band  of  leather,  as  though  to  hide  something 
from  their  gaze,  one  foot  was  gone,  one  hung  over  the  edge 
of  the  niche  towards  the  floor,  and  beneath  it  on  the  floor, 
red  with  rust,  lay  the  blade  of  a  broken  spear. 

“Now  come  hither,  Umslopogaas,  place  your  hand  upon 
the  wall  of  the  cave,  just  here;  it  is  smooth,  is  it  not  ? — 
smooth  as  the  stones  on  which  women  grind  their  corn. 
1  What  made  it  so  smooth  ?  ’  you  ask.  I  will  tell  you. 

“  When  I  peered  through  the  door  of  the  cave  I  saw 
this :  on  the  floor  of  the  cave  lay  a  she-wolf  panting,  as 
though  she  had  galloped  many  a  mile ;  she  was  great  and 
fierce.  Near  to  her  was  another  wolf — he  was  a  dog — old 
and  black,  bigger  than  any  I  have  seen,  a  very  father  of 
wolves,  and  all  his  head  and  flanks  were  streaked  with  grey. 
But  this  wolf  was  on  his  feet.  As  I  watched  he  drew  back 
nearly  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  then  of  a  sudden  he  ran 
forward  and  bounded  high  into  the  air  towards  the  withered 
foot  of  that  which  hung  from  the  cleft  of  the  rock.  His 
pads  struck  upon  the  rock  here  where  it  is  smooth,  and 
there  for  a  second  he  seemed  to  cling,  while  his  great  jaws 
closed  with  a  clash  but  a  spear’s  breadth  beneath  the  dead 
man’s  foot.  Then  he  fell  back  with  a  howl  of  rage,  and 
drew  slowly  down  the  cave.  Again  he  ran  and  leaped,  again 
the  great  jaws  closed,  again  he  fell  down  howling.  Then 
the  she-wolf  arose,  and  they  sprang  together,  striving  to 
pull  him  down  who  sat  above.  But  it  was  all  in  vain  ;  they 
could  never  come  nearer  than  within  a  spear’s  breadth  of 
the  dead  man’s  foot.  And  now,  Umslopogaas,  you  know 
why  the  rock  is  smooth  and  shines.  From  month  to  month 
and  year  to  year  the  wolves  had  ravened  there,  seeking 
to  devour  the  bones  of  him  who  sat  above.  Night  upon 
‘night  they  had  leaped  thus  against  the  wall  of  the  cave, 
but  never  might  their  clashing  jaws  close  upon  his  foot. 


io4 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


One  foot  they  had,  indeed,  but  the  other  they  could  not 
come  by. 

“Now  as  I  watched,  filled  with  fear  and  wonder,  the  she- 
wolf,  her  tongue  lolling  from  her  jaws,  made  so  mighty  a 
bound  that  she  almost  reached  the  hanging  foot,  and  yet 
not  quite.  She  fell  back,  and  then  I  saw  that  the  leap  was 
her  last  for  that  time,  for  she  had  oversprung  herself,  and 
lay  there  howling,  the  black  blood  flowing  from  her  mouth. 
The  wolf  saw  also  :  he  drew  near,  sniffed  at  her,  then,  know¬ 
ing  that  she  was  hurt,  seized  her  by  the  throat  and  worried 
her.  Now  all  the  place  was  filled  with  groans  and  chok¬ 
ing  howls,  as  the  wolves  rolled  over  and  over  beneath  him 
who  sat  above,  and  in  the  blood-red  light  of  the  dying  sun 
the  sight  and  sounds  were  so  horrid  that  I  trembled  like  a 
child.  The  she-wolf  grew  faint,  for  the  white  fangs  of  her 
mate  were  buried  in  her  throat.  Then  I  saw  that  now 
was  the  time  to  smite  him,  lest  when  he  had  killed  her 
he  should  kill  me  also.  So  I  lifted  the  Watcher  and  sprang 
into  the  cave,  having  it  in  my  mind  to  slay  the  wolf  before 
he  lifted  up  his  head.  But  he  heard  my  footsteps,  or  per¬ 
haps  my  shadow  fell  upon  him.  Loosing  his  grip,  he 
looked  up,  this  father  of  wolves ;  then,  making  no  sound, 
he  sprang  straight  at  my  throat. 

“  I  saw  him,  and  whirling  the  Watcher  aloft,  I  smote  with 
all  my  strength.  The  blow  met  him  in  mid-air ;  it  fell  full  on 
his  chest  and  struck  him  backwards  to  the  earth.  But  there 
he  would  not  stay,  for,  rising  before  I  could  smite  again, 
once  more  he  sprang  at  me.  This  time  I  leaped  aside  and 
struck  downwards,  and  the  blow  fell  upon  his  right  leg  and 
broke  it,  so  that  he  could  spring  no  more.  Yet  he  ran  at  me 
on  three  feet,  and,  though  the  club  fell  on  his  side,  he  seized 
me  with  his  teeth,  biting  through  that  leather  bag,  which 
was  wound  about  my  middle-,  into  the  flesh  behind.  Then  I 
yelled  with  pain  and  rage,  and  lifting  the  Watcher  endways, 
dr'ove  it  down  with  both  hands,  as  a  man  drives  a  stake  into 
the  earth,  and  that  with  so  great  a  stroke  that  the  skull  of 
the  wolf  -was  shattered  like  a  pot,  and  he  fell  dead,  drag¬ 
ging  me  with  him.  Presently  I  sat  up  on  the  ground,  and, 
placing  the  handle  of  the  Watcher  between  his  jaws,  I  forced 


GALAZr  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  WOLVES  105 


them  open,  freeing  my  flesh  from  the  grip  of  his  teeth. 
Then  I  looked  at  my  wounds;  they  were  not  deep,  for 
the  leather  bag  had  saved  me,  yet  I  feel  them  to  this  hour, 
for  there  is  poison  in  the  mouth  of  a  wolf.  Presently  I 
glanced  up,  and  saw  that  the  she-wolf  had  found  her  feet 
again,  and  stood  as  though  unhurt ;  for  this  is  the  nature 
of  these  ghosts,  Umslopogaas,  that,  though  they  fight  con¬ 
tinually,  they  cannot  destroy  each  other.  They  may  be  killed 
by  man  alone,  and  that  hardly.  There  she  stood,  and  yet 
she  did  not  look  at  me  or  on  her  dead  mate,  but  at  him 
only  who  sat  above.  I  saw,  and  crept  softly  behind  her, 
then,  lifting  the  Watcher,  I  dashed  him  down  with  all  my 
strength.  The  blow  fell  on  her  neck  and  broke  it,  so  that 
she  rolled  over  and  at  once  was  dead. 

“Now  I  rested  awhile,  then  went  to  the  mouth  of  the 
cave  and  looked  out.  The  sun  was  sinking;  all  the  depth 
of  forest  was  black,  but  the  light  still  shone  on  the  face 
of  the  stone  woman  who  sits  forever  on  the  mountain. 
Here,  then,  I  must  bide  this  night,  for,  though  the  moon 
shone  white  and  full  in  the  sky,  I  dared  not  wend  towards 
the  plains  alone  with  the  wolves  and  the  ghosts.  And  if 
I  dared  not  go  alone,  how  much  less  should  I  dare  to  go 
bearing  with  me  him  who  sat  in  the  cleft  of  the  rock  ! 
Nay,  here  I  must  bide,  so  I  went  out  of  the  cave  to  the 
spring  which  flows  from  the  rock  on  the  right  yonder  and 
washed  my  wounds  and  drank.  Then  I  came  back  and  sat 
in  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  watched  the  light  die  away 
from  the  face  of  the  world.  While  it  was  dying  there  was 
silence,  but  when  it  was  dead  the  forest  awoke.  A  wind 
sprang  up  and  tossed  it  till  the  green  of  its  boughs  waved  like 
troubled  water  on  which  the  moon  shines  faintly.  From  the 
heart  of  it,  too,  came  howlings  of  ghosts  and  wolves,  that 
were  answered  by  howls  from  the  rocks  above — hearken, 
Umslopogaas,  such  howlings  as  we  hear  to-night! 

“  It  was  awful  here  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  for  1  had  not 
yet  learned  the  secret  of  the  stone,  and  if  I  had  known  it, 
should  I  have  dared  to  close  it,  leaving  myself  alone  with 
the  dead  wolves  and  him  whom  the  wolves  had  struggled  to 
tear  down  ?  I  walked  out  yonder  on  to  the  platform  and 


io6 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


looked  up.  The  moon  shone  full  upon  the  face  of  the  stone 
Witch  who  sits  aloft  forever.  She  seemed  to  grin  at  me, 
and,  oh  !  I  grew  afraid,  for  now  I  knew  that  this  was  a  place 
of  dead  men,  a  place  where  spirits  perch  like  vultures  in  a 
tree,  as  they  sweep  round  and  round  the  world.  I  went  back 
to  the  cave,  and  feeling  that  I  must  do  something  lest  I 
should  go  mad,  I  drew  to  me  the  carcase  of  the  great  dog- 
wolf  which  I  had  killed,  and,  taking  my  knife  of  iron, 
I  began  to  skin  it  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  For  an 
hour  or  more  I  skinned,  singing  to  myself  as  I  worked, 
and  striving  to  forget  him  who  sat  in  the  cleft  above 
and  the  howlings  which  ran  about  the  mountains.  But 
ever  the  moonlight  shone  more  clearly  into  the  cave : 
now  by  it  I  could  see  his  shape  of  bone  and  skin,  ay,  and 
even  the  bandage  about  his  eyes.  Why  had  he  tied  it  there  ? 
I  wondered — perhaps  to  hide  the  faces  of  the  fierce  wolves 
as  they  sprang  upwards  to  grip  him.  And  always  the  howl¬ 
ings  drew  nearer ;  now  I  could  see  grey  forms  creeping  to 
and  fro  in  the  shadows  of  the  rocky  place  before  me.  Ah ! 
there  before  me  glared  two  red  eyes :  a  sharp  snout  sniffed 
at  the  carcase  which  I  skinned.  With  a  yell,  I  lifted  the 
Watcher  and  smote.  There  came  a  scream  of  pain,  and 
something  galloped  away  into  the  shadows. 

“Now  the  skin  was  off.  I  cast  it  behind  me,  and  seizing 
the  carcase  dragged  it  to  the  edge  of  the  rock  and  left  it. 
Presently  the  sound  of  howlings  drew  near  again,  and  I 
saw  the  grey  shapes  creep  up  one  by  one.  Now  they 
gathered  round  the  carcase,  now  they  fell  upon  it  and  rent 
it,  fighting  horribly  till  all  was  finished.  Then,  licking  their 
red  chops,  they  slunk  back  to  the  forest. 

“  Did  I  sleep  or  did  I  wake  ?  Nay,  I  cannot  tell.  But  I 
know  this,  that  of  a  sudden  I  seemed  to  look  up  and  see.  I 
saw  a  light — perchance,  Umslopogaas,  it  was  the  light  of  the 
moon  shining  upon  him  that  sat  aloft  at  the  end  of  the  cave. 
It  was  a  red  light,  and  he  glowed  in  it  as  glows  a  thing  that 
is  rotten.  I  looked,  or  seemed  to  look,  and  then  I  thought 
that  the  hanging  jaw  moved,  and  from  it  came  a  voice  that 
was  harsh  and  hollow  as  of  one  who  speaks  from  an  empty 
belly,  through  a  withered  throat. 


GALAZI  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  IVOLVES  107 


“  ‘Hail,  Galazi,  child  of  Siguyana  !’  said  the  voice,  ‘Galazi 
the  Wolf!  Say,  what  dost  thou  here  in  the  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain,  where  the  stone  Witch  sits  forever,  waiting  for  the 
world  to  die  ?  ’ 

“Then,  Umslopogaas,  I  answered,  or  seemed  to  answer, 
and  my  voice,  too,  sounded  strange  and  hollow  : — 

“  ‘  Hail,  Dead  One,  who  sittest  like  a  vulture  on  a  rock  ! 
I  do  this  on  the  Ghost  Mountain.  I  come  to  seek  thy  bones 
and  bear  them  to  thy  mother  for  burial.’ 

“  ‘  Many  and  many  a  year  have  I  sat  aloft,  Galazi,’  an¬ 
swered  the  voice,  ‘  watching  the  ghost-wolves  leap  and  leap 
to  drag  me  down,  till  the  rock  grew  smooth  beneath  the 
wearing  of  their  feet.  So  I  sat  seven  days  and  nights, 
being  yet  alive,  the  hungry  wolves  below,  and  hunger  gnaw¬ 
ing  at  my  heart.  So  I  have  sat  many  and  many  a  year, 
being  dead  in  the  heart  of  the  old  stone  Witch,  watching  the 
moon  and  the  sun  and  the  stars,  hearkening  to  the  howls  of 
the  ghost-wolves  as  they  ravened  beneath  me,  and  learning 
the  wisdom  of  the  old  witch  who  sits  above  in  everlast¬ 
ing  stone.  Yet  my  mother  was  young  and  fair  when  I  trod 
the  haunted  forest  and  climbed  the  knees  of  stone.  How 
seems  she  now,  Galazi  ?  ’ 

“  ‘  She  is  white  and  wrinkled  and  very  aged,’  I  answered. 
‘  They  call  her  mad,  yet  at  her  bidding  I  came  to  seek  thee, 
Dead  One,  bearing  the  Watcher  that  was  thy  father’s  and 
shall  be  mine.  ’ 

“  ‘  It  shall  be  thine,  Galazi,’  said  the  voice,  ‘ for  thou 
alone  hast  dared  the  ghosts  to  give  me  sleep  and  burial. 
Hearken,  thine  also  shall  be  the  wisdom  of  the  old  witch 
who  sits  aloft  forever,  frozen  into  everlasting  stone — thine 
and  one  other’s.  These  are  not  wolves  that  thou  hast  seen, 
that  is  no  wolf  which  thou  hast  slain  ;  nay,  they  are  ghosts — 
evil  ghosts  of  men  who  lived  in  ages  gone,  and  who  must 
now  live  till  they  be  slain  by  men.  And  knowest  thou  how 
they  lived,  Galazi,  and  what  was  the  food  they  ate  ?  When 
the  light  comes  again,  Galazi,  climb  to  the  breasts  of  the 
stone  Witch,  and  look  in  the  cleft  which  is  between  her 
breasts.  There  shalt  thou  see  how  these  men  lived.  And 
now  this  doom  is  on  them  :  they  must  wander  gaunt  and 


io8 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


hungry  in  the  shape  of  wolves,  haunting  that  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain  where  once  they  fed,  till  they  are  led  forth  to  die  at  the 
hands  of  men.  Because  of  their  devouring  hunger  have 
they  leapt  from  year  to  year,  striving  to  reach  my  bones ; 
and  he  whom  thou  hast  slain  was  the  king  of  them,  and  she 
at  his  side  was  their  queen. 

“‘Now,  Galazi  the  Wolf,  this  is  the  wisdom  that  I  give 
thee  :  thou  shalt  be  king  of  the  ghost-wolves,  thou  and 
another,  whom  a  lion  shall  bring  thee.  Gird  the  black 
skin  upon  thy  shoulders,  and  the  wolves  shall  follow  thee ; 
all  the  three  hundred  and  sixty  and  three  of  them  that  are 
left,  and  let  him  who  shall  be  brought  to  thee  gird  on  the 
skin  of  grey.  Where  ye  twain  lead  them,  there  shall  they 
raven,  bringing  you  victory  till  all  are  dead.  But  know 
this,  that  there  only  may  they  raven  where  in  life  they 
ravened,  seeking  for  their  food.  Yet,  that  was  an  ill  gift 
thou  tookest  from  my  mother — the  gift  of  the  Watcher,  for 
though  without  the  Watcher  thou  hadst  never  slain  the  king 
of  the  ghost-wolves,  yet,  bearing  the  Watcher,  thou  shalt 
thyself.be  slain.  Now,  on  the  morrow  carry  me  back  to 
my  mother,  so  that  I  may  sleep  where  the  ghost-wolves 
leap  no  more.  I  have  spoken,  Galazi.’ 

“  Now  the  Dead  One’s  voice  seemed  to  grow  ever  fainter 
and  more  hollow  as  he  spoke,  till  at  the  last  I  could  scarcely 
hear  his  words,  yet  I  answered  him,  asking  him  this  : — 

“  ‘  Who  is  it,  then,  that  the  lion  shall  bring  to  me  to  rule 
with  me  over  the  ghost-wolves,  and  how  is  he  named  ?  ’ 

“  Then  the  Dead  One  spoke  once  more  very  faintly,  yet 
in  the  silence  of  the  place  I  heard  his  words  : — 

“‘He  is  named  Umslopogaas  the  Slaughterer,  son  of 
Chaka,  Lion  of  the  Zulu.’  ” 

Now  Umslopogaas  started  up  from  his  place  by  the  fire. 

“I  am  named  Umslopogaas,”  he  said,  “ but  the  Slaughterer 
I  am  not  named,  and  I  am  the  son  of  Mopo,  and  not  the 
son  of  Chaka,  Lion  of  the  Zulu ;  you  have  dreamed  a 
dream,  Galazi,  or,  if  it  was  no  dream,  then  the  Dead  One 
lied  to  you.” 

“Perchance  this  was  so,  Umslopogaas,”  answered  Galazi 
the  Wolf.  “Perhaps  I  dreamed,  or  perhaps  the  Dead  One 


GALAZI  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  WOLVES  109 


lied ;  nevertheless,  if  he  lied  in  this  matter,  in  other  matters 
he  did  not  lie,  as  you  shall  hear. 

“  After  I  had  heard  these  words,  or  had  dreamed  that  I 
heard  them,  I  slept  indeed,  and  when  I  woke  the  forest 
beneath  was  like  the  clouds  for  mist,  but  the  grey  light 
glinted  upon  the  face  of  her  who  sits  in  stone  above. 
Now  I  remembered  the  dream  that  I  had  dreamed,  and  I 
would  see  if  it  was  all  a  dream.  So  I  rose,  and  leaving 
the  cave,  found  a  place  where  I  might  climb  up  to  the 
breasts  and  head  of  the  stone  Witch.  I  climbed,  and  as  I 
went  the  rays  of  the  sun  lit  upon  her  face,  and  I  rejoiced 
to  see  them.  But,  when  I  drew  near,  the  likeness  to  the  face 
of  a  woman  faded  away,  and  I  saw  nothing  before  me  but 
rugged  heaps  of  piled-up  rock.  For  this,  Umslopogaas,  is 
the  way  of  witches,  be  they  of  stone  or  flesh — when  you 
draw  near  to  them  they  change  their  shape. 

“Now  I  was  on  the  breast  of  the  mountain,  and  wan¬ 
dered  to  and  fro  awhile  between  great  heaps  of  stone. 
At  length  I  found,  as  it  were,  a  crack  in  the  stone  thrice  as 
wide  as  a  man  can  jump,  and  in  length  the  half  a  spear’s 
throw,  and  near  this  crack  stood  great  stones  blackened  by 
fire,  and  beneath  them  broken  pots  and  a  knife  of  flint.  I 
looked  down  into  the  crack — it  was  very  deep,  and  green 
with  moss,  and  tall  ferns  grew  about  in  it,  for  the  damp 
gathered  here.  There  was  nothing  else.  I  had  dreamed  a 
lying  dream.  I  turned  to  go,  then  found  another  mind,  and 
climbed  down  into  the  cleft,  pushing  aside  the  ferns.  Be¬ 
neath  the  ferns  was  moss;  I  scraped  it  away  with  the 
Watcher.  Presently  the  iron  of  the  club  struck  on  some¬ 
thing  that  was  yellow  and  round  like  a  stone,  and  from  the 
yellow  thing  came  a  hollow  sound.  I  lifted  it,  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  ;  it  was  the  skull  of  a  child. 

“  I  dug  deeper  and  scraped  away  more  moss,  till  presently 
I  saw.  Beneath  the  moss  was  nothing  but  the  bones  of 
men — old  bones  that  had  lain  there  many  years  ;  the  little 
ones  had  rotted,  the  large  ones  remained — some  were 
yellow,  some  black,  and  others  still  white.  They  were  not 
broken,  as  are  those  that  hyenas  and  wolves  have  worried, 
yet  on  some  of  them  I  could  see  the  marks  of  teeth. 


no 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Then,  Umslopogaas,  I  went  back  to  the  cave,  never  looking 
behind  me. 

“Now  when  I  was  come  to  the  cave  I  did  this :  I  skinned 
the  she-wolf  also.  When  I  had  finished  the  sun  was  up,  and 
I  knew  that  it  was  time  to  go.  But  I  could  not  go  alone — 
he  who  sat  aloft  in  the  cleft  of  the  cave  must  go  with  me. 
I  greatly  feared  to  touch  him — this  Dead  One,  who  had 
spoken  to  me  in  a  dream ;  yet  I  must  do  it.  So  I  brought 
stones  and  piled  them  up  till  I  could  reach  him;  then  I 
lifted  him  down,  for  he  was  very  light,  being  but  skin  and 
bones.  When  he  was  down  I  bound  the  hides  of  the 
wolves  about  me,  then  leaving  the  leather  bag,  into  which 
he  could  not  enter,  I  took  the  Dead  One  and  placed  him 
on  my  shoulders  as  a  man  might  carry  a  child,  for  his  legs 
were  fixed  somewhat  apart,  and  holding  him  by  that  foot 
which  was  left  on  him,  I  set  out  for  the  kraal.  Down  the 
slope  I  went  as  swiftly  as  I  could,  for  now  I  knew  the  way, 
seeing  and  hearing  nothing,  except  once,  when  there  came 
a  rush  of  wings,  and  a  great  eagle  swept  down  at  that  which 
sat  upon  my  shoulders.  I  shouted,  and  the  eagle  flew  away, 
then  I  entered  the  dark  of  the  forest.  Here  I  must  walk 
softly,  lest  the  head  of  him  I  carried  should  strike  against 
the  boughs  and  be  smitten  from  him. 

“For  awhile  I  went  on  thus,  till  I  drew  near  to  the  heart 
of  the  forest.  Then  I  heard  a  wolf  howl  on  my  right,  and 
from  the  left  came  answering  howls,  and  these,  again,  were 
answered  by  others  in  front  of  and  behind  me.  I  walked 
on  boldly,  for  I  dared  not  stay,  guiding  myself  by  the  sun, 
which  from  time  to  time  shone  down  on  me  redly  through 
the  boughs  of  the  great  trees.  Now  I  could  see  forms  grey 
and  black  slinking  near  my  path,  sniffing  at  the  air  as  they 
went,  and  now  I  came  to  a  little  open  place,  and,  behold!  all 
the  wolves  in  the  world  were  gathered  together  there.  My 
heart  melted,  my  legs  trembled  beneath  me.  On  every  side 
were  the  brutes,  great  and  hungry.  T  stood  still,  with  club 
aloft,  and  slowly  they  crept  up,  muttering  and  growling  as 
they  came,  till  they  formed  a  deep  circle  round  me.  Yet 
they  did  not  spring  on  me,  only  drew  nearer  and  ever  nearer. 
Presently  one  sprang,  indeed,  but  not  at  me;  he  sprang  at 


‘  Now  I  knew  that  I  had  no  more  to  fear,  for  I  was  king 

of  the  ghost-wolves.’ 


GALAZI  BECOMES  KING  OF  THE  WOLFES 


hi 


that  which  sat  upon  my  shoulders.  I  moved  aside,  and  he 
missed  his  aim,  and,  coming  to  the  ground  again,  stood  there 
growling  and  whining  like  a  beast  afraid.  Then  I  remem¬ 
bered  the  words  of  my  dream,  if  dream  it  were,  how  that 
the  Dead  One  had  given  me  wisdom  that  I  should  be 
king  of  the  ghost-wolves — I  and  another  whom  a  lion  should 
bear  to  me.  Was  it  not  so  ?  If  it  was  not  so,  how  came 
it  that  the  wolves  did  not  devour  me  ? 

“For  a  moment  I  stood  thinking,  then  I  lifted  up  my 
voice  and  howled  like  a  wolf,  and  lo !  Umslopogaas,  all 
the  wolves  howled  in  answer  with  a  mighty  howling.  I 
stretched  out  my  hand  and  called  to  them.  They  ran  to 
me,  gathering  round  me  as  though  to  devour  me.  But 
they  did  not  harm  me ;  they  licked  my  legs  with  their  red 
tongues,  and  fighting  to  come  near  me,  pressed  themselves 
against  me  as  does  a  cat.  One,  indeed,  snatched  at  him 
who  sat  on  my  shoulder,  but  I  struck  him  with  the  Watcher 
and  he  slunk  back  like  a  whipped  hound;  moreover,  the 
others  bit  him  so  that  he  yelled.  Now  I  knew  that  I  had 
no  more  to  fear,  for  I  was  king  of  the  ghost-wolves,  so  I 
walked  on,  and  with  me  came  all  the  great  pack  of  them. 
I  walked  on  and  on,  and  they  trotted  beside  me  silently, 
and  the  fallen  leaves  crackled  beneath  their  feet,  and  the 
dust  rose  up  about  them,  till  at  length  I  reached  the  edge 
of  the  forest. 

“  Now  I  remembered  that  I  must  not  be  seen  thus  by  men, 
lest  they  should  think  me  a  wizard  and  kill  me.  Therefore, 
at  the  edge  of  the  forest  I  halted  and  made  signs  to  the 
wolves  to  go  back.  At  this  they  howled  piteously,  as  though 
in  grief,  but  I  called  to  them  that  I  would  come  again  and 
be  their  king,  and  it  seemed  as  though  their  brute  hearts 
understood  my  words.  Then  they  all  went,  still  howling, 
till  presently  I  was  alone. 

“And  now,  Umslopogaas,  it  is  time  to  sleep;  to-morrow 
night  I  will  end  my  tale.” 


1 12 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


CHAPTEB  XIV. 

THE  WOLF-BRETHREN. 

Now,  my  father,  on  the  morrow  night,  once  again  Umslo- 
pogaas  and  Galazi  the  Wolf  sat  by  the  fire  in  the  mouth  of 
their  cave,  as  we  sit  to-night,  my  father,  and  Galazi  took  up 
his  tale. 

“  I  passed  on  till  I  came  to  the  river ;  it  was  still  full, 
but  the  water  had  run  down  a  little,  so  that  my  feet  found 
foothold.  I  waded  into  the  river,  using  the  Watcher  as  a 
staff,  and  the  stream  reached  to  my  elbows,  but  no  higher. 
Now  one  on  the  farther  bank  of  the  river  saw  that  which 
sat  upon  my  shoulders,  and  saw  also  the  wolf’s  skin  on  my 
head,  and  ran  to  the  kraal  crying,  ‘Here  comes  one  who 
walks  the  waters  on  the  back  of  a  wolf.’ 

“  So  it  came  about  that  as  I  drew  towards  the  kraal  all 
the  people  of  the  kraal  were  gathered  together  to  meet  me, 
except  the  old  woman,  who  could  not  walk  so  far.  But 
when  they  saw  me  coming  up  the  slope  of  the  hill,  and 
when  they  knew  what  it  was  that  sat  upon  my  shoulders, 
they  were  smitten  with  fear.  Yet  they  did  not  run,  because 
of  their  great  wonder,  only  they  walked  backward  before 
me,  clinging  each  to  each  and  saying  nothing.  I  too  came 
on  silently,  till  at  length  I  reached  the  kraal,  and  before  its 
gates  sat  the  old  woman  basking  in  the  sun  of  the  after¬ 
noon.  Presently  she  looked  up  and  cried : — 

“  ‘  What  ails  you,  people  of  my  house,  that  you  walk  back¬ 
wards  like  men  bewitched,  and  who  is  that  tall  and  deathly 
man  who  comes  toward  you  ?  9 

“  But  still  they  drew  on  backward,  saying  no  word,  the 
little  children  clinging  to  the  women,  the  women  clinging 
to  the  men,  till  they  had  passed  the  old  wife  and  ranged 
themselves  behind  her  like  a  regiment  of  soldiers.  Then 
they  halted  against  the  fence  of  the  kraal.  But  I  came  on 
to  the  old  woman,  and  lifted  him  who  sat  upon  my  shoulders, 
and  placed  him  on  the  ground  before  her,  saying,  ‘Woman, 
here  is  your  son ;  I  have  snatched  him  with  much  toil  from 


THE  WOLF-BRETHREN 


Ir3 


the  jaws  of  tlie  ghosts — and  they  are  many  up  yonder — all 
save  one  foot,  which  I  could  not  find.  Take  him  now  and 
oury  him,  for  I  weary  of  his  fellowship/ 

“She  looked  upon  that  which  sat  before  her.  She  put 
out  her  withered  hand  and  drew  the  bandage  from  his  sunken 
eyes.  Then  she  screamed  aloud  a  shrill  scream,  and,  fling¬ 
ing  her  arms  about  the  neck  of  that  Dead  One,  she  cried : 
‘  It  is  my  son  whom  I  bore — my  very  son,  whom  for  twice  ten 
years  and  half  a  ten  I  have  not  looked  upon.  Greeting,  my 
son,  greeting !  Now  shalt  thou  find  burial,  and  I  with  thee 
— ay,  I  with  thee  !  ’ 

“  And  once  more  she  cried  aloud,  standing  upon  her  feet 
with  arms  outstretched.  Then  of  a  sudden  a  foam  burst 
from  her  lips,  and  she  fell  forward  upon  the  body  of  her 
son,  and  was  dead. 

“Now  silence  came  upon  the  place  again  for  all  were 
fearful.  At  last  one  cried :  ‘  How  is  this  man  named  who 
has  won  the  body  from  the  ghosts  ?  ’ 

“  ‘ 1  am  named  Galazi,’  I  answered. 

“‘Nay,’  said  he.  ‘The  Wolf  are  you  named.  Look  at 
the  wolf’s  red  hide  upon  his  head !  ’ 

“  ‘  I  am  named  Galazi,  and  the  Wolf  you  have  named  me,’ 
I  said  again.  ‘  So  be  it :  I  am  named  Galazi  the  Wolf.’ 

“  ‘  Methinks  he  is  a  wolf,’  said  he.  ‘  Look,  now,  at  his 
teeth,  how  they  grin !  This  is  no  man,  my  brothers,  but  a  wolf.’ 

“  ‘  No  wolf  and  no  man,’  said  another,  ‘but  a  wizard.  None 
but  a  wizard  could  have  passed  the  forest  and  won  the  lap 
of  her  who  sits  in  stone  forever.’ 

“‘Yes,  yes  !  he  is  a  wolf — he  is  a  wizard!’  they  screamed. 
‘Kill  him!  Kill  the  wolf- wizard  before  he  bring  the  ghosts 
upon  us  !  ’  And  they  ran  towards  me  with  uplifted  spears. 

“‘I  am  a  wolf  indeed,’  I  cried,  ‘and  I  am  a  wizard 
indeed,  and  I  will  bring  wolves  and  ghosts  upon  you  ere  all 
is  done.’  And  I  turned  and  fled  so  swiftly  that  soon  they 
were  left  behind  me.  Now  as  I  ran  I  met  a  girl ;  a  basket 
of  mealies  was  on  her  head,  and  she  bore  a  dead  kid  in  her 
hand.  I  rushed  at  her  howling  like  a  wolf,  and  I  snatched 
the  mealies  from  her  head  and  the  kid  from  her  hand. 
Then  I  fled  on,  and  coming  to  the  river,  I  crossed  it,  and  for 

I 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


1 14 

that  night  I  hid  myself  in  the  rocks  beyond,  eating  the 
mealies  and  the  flesh  of  the  kid. 

“On  the  morrow  at  dawn  I  rose  and  shook  the  dew  from 
the  wolf-hide.  Then  I  went  on  into  the  forest  and  howled 
like  a  wolf.  They  knew  my  voice,  the  ghost-wolves,  and 
howled  in  answer  from  far  and  near.  Then  I  heard  the 
pattering  of  their  feet,  and  they  came  round  me  by  tens  and  ’ 
by  twenties,  and  fawned  upon  me.  I  counted  their  number ; 
they  numbered  three  hundred  and  sixty  and  three. 

“  Afterwards,  I  went  on  to  the  cave,  and  I  have  lived 
here  in  the  cave,  Umslopogaas,  for  nigh  upon  twelve  moons, 
and  I  have  become  a  wolf-man.  Tor  with  the  wolves  I 
hunt  and  raven,  and  they  know  me,  and  what  I  bid  them 
that  they  do.  Stay,  Umslopogaas,  now  you  are  strong 
again,  and,  if  your  courage  does  not  fail  you,  you  shall  see 
this  very  night.  Come  now,  have  you  the  heart,  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  ?  ” 

Then  Umslopogaas  rose  and  laughed  aloud.  “I  am 
young  in  years,”  he  cried,  “  and  scarcely  come  to  the  full 
strength  of  men ;  yet  hitherto  I  have  not  turned  my  back 
on  lion  or  witch,  on  wolf  or  man.  Now  let  us  see  this  impi 
of  yours— this  impi  black  and  grey,  that  runs  on  four  legs 
with  fangs  for  spears  !  ” 

“You  must  first  bind  on  the  she-wolfs  hide,  Umslopo¬ 
gaas,”  quoth  Galazi,  “  else,  before  a  man  could  count  his  fin¬ 
gers  twice  there  would  be  -little  enough  left  of  you.  Bind 
it  about  the  neck  and  beneath  the  arms,  and  see  that  the 
fastenings  do  not  burst,  lest  it  be  the  worse  for  you.” 

So  Umslopogaas  took  the  grey  wolfs  hide  and  bound  it 
on  with  thongs  of  leather,  and  its  teeth  gleamed  upon  his 
head,  and  he  took  a  spear  in  his  hand.  Galazi  also  bound 
on  the  hide  of  the  king  of  the  wolves,  and  they  went  out 
on  to  the  space  before  the  cave.  Galazi  stood  there  awhile, 
and  the  moonlight  fell  upon  him,  and  Umslopogaas  saw 
that  his  face  grew  wild  and  beastlike,  that  his  eyes  shone, 
and  his  teeth  grinned  beneath  his  curling  lips.  He  lifted 
up  his  head  and  howled  out  upon  the  night.  Thrice  Galazi 
lifted  his  head  and  thrice  he  howled  loudly,  and  yet  more 
loud.  But  before  ever  the  echoes  had  died  in  the  air,  from 


THE  WOLF-BRETHREN 


ii5 

tlie  heights  of  the  rocks  above  and  the  depths  of  the  forest 
beneath,  from  the  east  and  the  west,  from  the  north  and 
the  south,  there  came  howlings  in  answer.  Nearer  they 
grew  and  nearer ;  now  there  was  a  sound  of  feet,  and  a  wolf, 
great  and  grey,  bounded  towards  them,  and  after  him  many 
another.  They  came  to  Galazi,  they  sprang  upon  him, 
fawning  round  him,  but  he  beat  them  dowrn  with  the 
Watcher.  Then  of  a  sudden  they  saw  Umslopogaas,  and 
rushed  at  him  open-mouthed. 

“  Stand  and  do  not  move !  ”  cried  Galazi.  “Be  not  afraid ! ” 
“  1  have  always  fondled  dogs,”  answered  Umslopogaas, 
“  shall  I  learn  to  fear  them  now  ?  ” 

Yet  though  he  spoke  boldly,  in  his  heart  he  was  afraid, 
for  this  was  the  most  terrible  of  all  sights.  The  wolves 
rushed  on  him  open-mouthed,  from  before  and  from  behind, 
so  that  in  a  breath  he  was  wellnigli  hidden  by  their  forms. 
Yet  110  fang  pierced  him,  for  as  they  leapt  they  smelt  the 
smell  of  the  skin  upon  him,  and  dropped  down  at  his  feet 
fawning  and  licking  him.  Then  Umslopogaas  saw  that  the 
wolves  leapt  at  him  no  more,  but  the  she-wolves  gathered 
round  him  who  wore  the  she-wolf  s  skin.  They  were  great 
and  gaunt  and  hungry,  all  were  full-grown,  there  were  no 
little  ones,  and  their  number  was  so  many  that  he  could 
not  count  them  in  the  moonlight.  Umslopogaas,  looking 
into  their  red  eyes,  felt  his  heart  become  as  the  heart  of  a 
wolf,  and  he,  too,  lifted  up  his  head  and  howled,  and  the 
she-wolves  howled  in  answer. 

“  The  pack  is  gathered ;  now  for  the  hunt !  ”  cried  Galazi. 
“Make  your  feet  swift,  my  brother,  for  we  shall  journey  far 
to-night.  Ho,  Blackfang  !  I10,  Grey  snout !  Ho,  my  people 
black  and  grey,  away  !  away  !  ” 

He  spoke  and  bounded  forward,  and  with  him  went 
Umslopogaas,  and  after  them  streamed  the  ghost-wolves. 
JLhey  lied  down  the  mountain  sides,  leaping  from  boulder  to 
boulder  like  bucks.  Presently  they  stood  by  a  kloof  that 
was  thick  with  trees.  Galazi  stopped,  holding  up  the 
Watcher,  and  the  wolves  stopped  with  him. 

“  I  smell  a  quarry,”  he  cried  ;  “in,  my  people,  in  !” 

Then  the  wolves  plunged  silently  into  the  great  kloof,  but 

1  2 


1 1 6 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Galazi  and  Umslopogaas  drew  to  the  foot  of  it  and  waited. 
Presently  there  came  a  sound  of  breaking  boughs,  and  lo ! 
before  them  stood  a  buffalo,  a  bull  who  lowed  fiercely  and 
sniffed  the  air. 

“  This  one  will  give  us  a  good  chase,  my  brother;  see,  he  is 
gaunt  and  thin !  Ah !  that  meat  is  tender  which  my 
people  have  hunted  to  the  death !  ” 

As  Galazi  spoke,  the  first  of  the  wolves  drew  from  the 
covert  and  saw  the  buffalo;  then,  giving  tongue,  they  sprang 
towards  it.  The  bull  saw  also,  and  dashed  down  the  hill, 
and  after  him  came  Galazi  and  U mslopogaas,  and  with  them 
all  their  company,  and  the  rocks  shook  with  the  music  of 
their  hunting.  They  rushed  down  the  mountain  side,  and 
it  came  into  the  heart  of  Umslopogaas,  that  he,  too,  was  a 
wolf.  They  rushed  madly,  yet  his  feet  were  swift  as  the 
swiftest;  no  wolf  could  outstrip  him,  and  in  him  was  but 
one  desire — the  desire  of  prey.  Now  they  neared  the  bor¬ 
ders  of  the  forest,  and  Galazi  shouted.  He  shouted  to 
Greysnout  and  to  Blackfang,  to  Blood  and  to  Deathgrip,  and 
these  four  leaped  forward  from  the  pack,  running  so  swiftly 
that  their  bellies  seemed  to  touch  the  ground.  They  passed 
about  the  bull,  turning  him  from  the  forest  and  setting  his 
head  up  the  slope  of  the  mountain.  Then  the  chase  wheeled, 
the  bull  leaped  and  bounded  up  the  mountain  side,  and  on 
one  flank  lay  Greysnout  and  Deathgrip  and  on  the  other  lay 
Blood  and  Blackfang,  while  behind  came  the  Wolf-Brethren, 
and  after  them  the  wolves  with  lolling  tongues.  Up  the 
hill  they  sped,  but  the  feet  of  Umslopogaas  never  wearied, 
his  breath  did  not  fail  him.  Once  more  they  drew  near  the 
lap  of  the  Grey  Witch  where  the  cave  was.  On  rushed  the 
bull,  mad  with  fear.  He  ran  so  swiftly  that  the  wolves 
were  left  behind,  since  here  for  a  space  the  ground  was 
level  to  his  feet.  Galazi  looked  on  Umslopogaas  at  his 
side,  and  grinned. 

“  You  do  not  run  so  ill,  my  brother,  who  have  been  sick  of 
late.  See  now  if  you  can  outrun  me  !  Who  shall  touch  the 
quarry  first  ?  ” 

Now  the  bull  was  ahead  by  two  spear-throws.  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  looked  and  grinned  back  at  Galazi.  “  Good !  ”  he  cried, 
“  away !  ” 


‘  He  lifted  tlie  spear  . 


and  drove  it  down  between  the  shoulders. ’ 


THE  WOLF-BRETHREN ' 


ii  7 


They  sped  forward  with  a  bound,  and  for  awhile  it 
seemed  to  XJmslopogaas  as  though  they  stood  side  by  side, 
only  the  bull  grew  nearer  and  nearer.  Then  he  put  out  his 
strength  and  the  swiftness  of  his  feet,  and  lo !  when  he 
looked  again  he  was  alone,  and  the  bull  was  very  near, 
^evei  weie  feet  so  swift  as  those  of  XJmslopogaas.  Now 
he  reached  the  bull  as  he  laboured  on.  XJmslopogaas  placed 
his  hands  upon  the  back  of  the  bull  and  leaped ;  he  was  on 
him,  lie  sat  him  as  you  white  men  sit  a  horse.  Then  he 
lilted  the  spear  in  his  hand,  and  drove  it  down  between  the 
shoulders  to  the  spine,  and  of  a  sudden  the  great  buffalo 
staggered,  stopped,  and  fell  dead. 

Galazi  came  up.  “Who  now  is  the  swiftest,  Galazi,” 
cried  XJmslopogaas,  “I,  or  you,  or  your  wolf  host  ?  ” 

“You  are  the  swiftest,  XJmslopogaas, : ”  said  Galazi,  gasp¬ 
ing  for  his  breath.  “Never  did  a  man  run  as  you  run,  nor 
ever  shall  again.” 

Now  the  wolves  streamed  up,  and  would  have  torn  the 
carcase,  but  Galazi  beat  them  back,  and  they  rested  awhile. 
Then  Galazi  said,  “Let  us  cut  meat  from  the  bull  with 
a  spear.” 

So  they  cut  meat  from  the  bull,  and  when  they  had 
finished  Galazi  motioned  to  the  wolves,  and  they  fell  upon 
the  carcase,  fighting  furiously.  In  a  little  while  nothing 
was  left  except  the  larger  bones,  and  yet  each  wolf  had 
but  a  little. 

Then  they  went  back  to  the  cave  and  slept. 

Afterwards  XJmslopogaas  told  Galazi  all  his  tale,  and 
Galazi  asked  him  if  he  would  abide  with  him  and  be 
his  brother,  and  rule  with  him  over  the  wolf-kind,  or  seek 
his  father  Mopo  at  the  kraal  of  Chaka. 

XJmslopogaas  said  that  it  was  rather  in  his  mind  to  seek 
his  sister  Nada,  for  he  was  weary  of  the  kraal  of  Chaka, 
but  he  thought  of  Nada  day  and  night. 

“Where,  then,  is  Nada,  your  sister?”  asked  Galazi. 

“  She  sleeps  in  the  caves  of  your  people,  Galazi ;  she 
tarries  with  the  Hal  aka  zi.” 

“Stay  awhile,  XJmslopogaas,”  cried  Galazi;  “stay  till 


1 1 8 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


we  are  men  indeed.  Then  we  will  seek  this  sister  of  yours 
and  snatch  her  from  the  caves  of  the  Halakazi.” 

Now  the  desire  of  this  wolf-life  had  entered  into  the 
heart  of  Umslopogaas,  and  he  said  that  it  should  be  so, 
and  on  the  morrow  they  made  them  blood-brethren,  to  be 
one  till  death,  before  all  the  company  of  ghost  wolves, 
and  the  wolves  howled  when  they  smelt  the  blood  of  men. 
In  all  things  thenceforth  these  two  were  equal,  and  the 
ghost-wolves  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  both  of  them. 
And  on  many  a  moonlight  night  they  and  the  wolves  hunted 
together,  winning  their  food.  At  times  they  crossed  the 
river,  hunting  in  the  plains,  for  game  was  scarce  on  the 
mountain,  and  the  people  of  the  kraal  would  come  out, 
hearing  the  mighty  howling,  and  watch  the  pack  sweep 
across  the  veldt,  and  with  them  a  man  or  men.  Then 
they  would  say  that  the  ghosts  were  abroad  and  creep 
into  their  huts  shivering  with  fear.  But  as  yet  the  Wolf- 
Brethren  and  their  pack  killed  no  men,  but  game  only,  or, 
at  times,  elephants  and  lions. 

Now  when  Umslopogaas  had  abode  some  moons  in  the 
Witch  Mountain,  on  a  night  he  dreamed  of  Nada,  and 
awakening  soft  at  heart,  bethought  him  that  he  would 
learn  tidings  concerning  me,  his  father,  Mopo,  and  what  had 
befallen  me  and  her  whom  he  deemed  his  mother,  and  Nada, 
his  sister,  and  his  other  brethren.  So  he  clothed  himself, 
hiding  his  nakedness,  and,  leaving  Galazi,  descended  to 
that  kraal  where  the  old  woman  had  dwelt,  and  there 
gave  it  out  that  he  was  a  young  man,  a  chief’s  son  from 
a  far  place,  who  sought  a  wife.  The  people  of  the  kraal 
listened  to  him,  though  they  held  that  his  look  was 
fierce  and  wild,  and  one  asked  if  this  were  Galazi  the 
Wolf,  Galazi  the  Wizard.  But  another  answered  that  this 
was  not  Galazi,  for  their  eyes  had  seen  him.  Umslopogaas 
said  that  he  knew  nothing  of  Galazi,  and  little  of  wolves, 
and  lo !  while  he  spoke  there  came  an  impi  of  fifty  men 
and  entered  the  kraal.  Umslopogaas  looked  at  the  leaders 
of  the  impi  and  knew  them  for  captains  of  Chaka.  At 
first  he  would  have  spoken  to  them,  but  his  Elilose  bade 
him  hold  his  peace.  So  he  sat  in  a  corner  of  ' the  big  hut 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  KING'S  SLAYERS 


n9 

and  listened.  Presently  the  headman  of  the  kraal,  who 
trembled  with  fear,  for  he  believed  that  the  impi  had  been 
sent  to  destroy  him  and  all  that  were  his,  asked  the  captain 
what  was  his  will. 

“  A  little  matter,  and  a  vain,”  said  the  captain.  “  We 
are  sent  by  the  king  to  search  for  a  certain  youth,  Umslopo- 
gaas,  the  son  of  Mopo,  the  king’s  doctor.  Mopo  gave 
it  out  that  the  youth  was  killed  by  a  lion  near  these  moun¬ 
tains,  and  Chaka  would  learn  if  this  is  true.” 

“We  know  nothing  of  the  youth,”  said  the  headman. 
“  But  what  would  ye  with  him  ?  ” 

“  Only  this,”  answered  the  captain,  “  to  kill  him.” 

“That  is  yet  to  do,”  thought  Umslopogaas. 

“  Who  is  this  Mopo  ?  ”  asked  the  headman. 

“  An  evildoer,  whose  house  the  king  has  eaten  up — man, 
woman,  and  child,”  answered  the  captain. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  DEATH  OF  THE  KING’S  SLAYERS. 

When  Umslopogaas  heard  these  words  his  heart  was 
heavy,  and  a  great  anger  burned  in  his  breast,  for  he 
thought  that  I,  Mopo,  was  dead  with  the  rest  of  his  house, 
and  he  loved  me.  But  he  said  nothing;  only,  watch¬ 
ing  till  none  were  looking,  he  slipped  past  the  backs  of  the 
captains  and  won  the  door  of  the  hut.  Soon  he  was  clear 
of  the  kraal,  and,  running  swiftly,  crossed  the  river  and 
came  to  the  Ghost  Mountain.  Meanwhile,  the  captain 
asked  the  headman  of  the  kraal  if  he  knew  anything  of  such 
a  youth  as  him  for  whom  they  sought.  The  headman  told 
the  captain  of  Galazi  the  Wolf,  but  the  captain  said  that 
this  could  not  be  the  lad,  for  Galazi  had  dwelt  many  moons 
upon  the  Ghost  Mountain. 

“  There  is  another  youth,”  said  the  headman  ;  “  a  stranger, 
fierce,  strong  and  tall,  with  eyes  that  shine  like  spears.  He 
is  in  the  hut  now  ;  he  sits  yonder  in  the  shadow.” 


120  NAD  A  THE  LILY 

The  captain  rose  ancl  looked  into  the  shadow,  but  Umslo- 
pogaas  was  gone. 

“  Now  this  youth  is  fled,”  said  the  headman,  “  and  yet 
none  saw  him  fly !  Perhaps  he  also  is  a  wizard  !  Indeed, 
I  have  heard  that  now  there  are  two  of  them  upon  the  Ghost 
Mountain,  and  that  they  hunt  there  at  night  with  the  ghost- 
wolves,  but  I  do  not  know  if  it  is  true.” 

“Now  I  am  minded  to  kill  you,”  said  the  captain  in 
wrath,  “  because  you  have  suffered  this  youth  to  escape  me. 
Without  doubt  it  is  Umslopogaas,  son  of  Mopo.” 

“It  is  no  fault  of  mine,”  said  the  headman.  “These 
young  men  are  wizards,  who  can  pass  hither  and  thither  at 
will.  But  I  say  this  to  you,  captain  of  the  king,  if  you  will 
go  on  the  Ghost  Mountain,  you  must  go  there  alone  with 
your  soldiers,  for  none  in  these  parts  dare  to  tread  upon 
that  mountain.” 

“Yet  I  shall  dare  to-morrow,”  said  the  captain.  “We 
grow  brave  at  the  kraal  of  Chaka.  There  men  do  not  fear 
spears  or  ghosts  or  wild  beasts  or  magic,  but  they  fear 
the  king’s  word  alone.  The  sun  sets — give  us  food.  To¬ 
morrow  we  will  search  the  mountain.” 

Thus,  my  father,  did  this  captain  speak  in  his  folly, — he 
who  should  never  see  another  sun. 

Now  Umslopogaas  reached  the  mountain,  and  when  he 
had  passed  the  forest— of  which  he  had  learned  every  secret 
way — the  darkness  gathered,  and  the  wolves  awoke  in  the 
darkness  and  drew  near  howling.  Umslopogaas  howled  in 
answer,  and  presently  that  great  wolf  Deathgrip  came  to 
him.  Umslopogaas  saw  him  and  called  him  by  his  name; 
but,  behold !  the  brute  did  not  know  him,  and  flew  at  him, 
growling.  Then  Umslopogaas  remembered  that  the  she- 
wolf’s  skin  was  not  bound  about  his  shoulders,  and  therefore 
it  was  that  the  wolf  Deathgrip  knew  him  not.  For  though 
in  the  daytime,  when  the  wolves  slept,  he  might  pass  to  and 
fro  without  the  skin,  at  night  it  was  not  so.  He  had  not 
brought  the  skin,  because  he  dared  not  wear  it  in  the  sight 
of  the  men  of  the  kraal,  lest  they  should  know  him  for  one 
of  the  Wolf-Brethren,  and  it  had  not  been  his  plan  to 
seek  the  mountain  again  that  night,  but  rather  on  the  mor- 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  KING'S  SLA  VETS 


121 


row.  Now  Umslopogaas  knew  that  his  danger  was  great 
indeed.  He  beat  back  Deathgrip  with  his  kerrie,  but  others 
were  behind  him,  for  the  wolves  gathered  fast.  Then  he 
bounded  away  towards  the  cave,  and  he  was  so  swift  of  foot 
that  the  wolves  could  not  catch  him,  though  they  pressed 
him  hard,  and  once  the  teeth  of  one  of  them  tore  his  moo- 
cha.  Never  before  did  he  run  so  fast,  and  in  the  end  he 
reached  the  cave  and  rolled  the  rock  to,  and  as  he  did  so 
the  wolves  dashed  themselves  against  it.  Then  he  clad 
himself  in  the  hide  of  the  she-wolf,  and,  pushing  aside  the 
stone,  came  out.  And,  lo !  the  eyes  of  the  wolves  were 
opened,  and  they  knew  him  for  one  of  the  brethren  who 
ruled  over  them,  and  slunk  away  at  his  bidding. 

Now  Umslopogaas  sat  himself  down  at  the  mouth  of  the 
cave  waiting  for  Galazi,  and  he  thought.  Presently  Galazi 
came,  and  in  few  words  Umslopogaas  told  him  all  his  tale. 

“You  have  run  a  great  risk,  my  brother/’  said  Galazi. 
“  What  now  ?  ” 

“This,”  said  Umslopogaas:  “these  people  of  ours  are 
hungry  for  the  flesh  of  men ;  let  us  feed  them  full  on  the 
soldiers  of  Chaka,  who  sit  yonder  at  the  kraal  seeking 
my  life.  I  would  take  vengeance  for  Mopo,  my  father, 
and  all  my  brethren  who  are  dead,  and  for  my  mothers, 
the  wives  of  Mopo.  What  say  you  ?  ” 

Galazi  laughed  aloud.  “  That  will  be  merry,  my  brother,” 
he  said.  “I  weary  of  hunting  beasts,  let  us  hunt  men 
to-night.” 

“Ay,  to-night,”  said  Umslopogaas,  nodding.  “I  long  to 
look  upon  that  captain  as  a  maid  longs  for  her  lover’s  kiss. 
But  first  let  us  rest  and  eat,  for  the  night  is  young ;  then, 
Galazi,  summon  our  impi.” 

So  they  rested  and  ate,  and  afterwards  went  out  armed, 
and  Galazi  howled  to  the  wolves,  and  they  came  in  tens  and 
in  twenties  till  all  were  gathered  together.  Galazi  moved 
among  them,  shaking  the  Watcher,  as  they  sat  upon  their 
haunches,  and  followed  him  with  their  fiery  eyes. 

“  We  do  not  hunt  game  to-night,  little  people,”  he  cried, 
“but  men,  and  you  love  the  flesh  of  men.*” 

Now  all  the  wolves  howled  as  though  they  understood. 


122 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Then  the  pack  divided  itself  as  was  its  custom,  the 
she-wolves  following  Umslopogaas,  the  dog-wolves  fol¬ 
lowing  Galazi,  and  in  silence  they  moved  swiftly  down 
towards  the  ]41ain.  They  came  to  the  river  and  swam  it, 
and  there,  eight  spear  throws  away,  on  the  farther  side  of 
the  river  stood  the  kraal.  Now  the  Wolf-Brethren  took 
counsel  together,  and  Galazi,  with  the  dog-wolves,  went  to 
the  north  gate,  and  Umslopogaas  with  the  she-wolves  to 
the  south  gate.  They  reached  them  safely  and  in  silence, 
for  at  the  bidding  of  the  brethren  the  wolves  ceased  from 
their  bowlings.  The  gates  were  stopped  with  thorns,  but 
the  brethren  pulled  out  the  thorns  and  made  a  passage.  As 
they  did  this  it  chanced  that  certain  dogs  in  the  kraal  heard 
the  sound  of  the  stirred  boughs,  and  awakening,  caught  the 
smell  of  the  wolves  that  were  with  Umslopogaas,  for  the 
wind  blew  from  that  quarter.  These  dogs  ran  out  barking, 
and  presently  they  came  to  the  south  gate  of  the  kraal,  and 
flew  at  Umslopogaas,  who  pulled  away  the  thorns.  Now 
when  the  wolves  saw  the  dogs  they  could  be  restrained  no 
longer,  but  sprang  on  them  and  tore  them  to  fragments,  and 
the  sound  of  their  worrying  came  to  the  ears  of  the  soldiers 
of  Chaka  and  of  the  dwellers  in  the  kraal,  so  that  they 
sprang  from  sleep,  snatching  their  arms.  And  as  they  came 
out  of  the  huts  they  saw  in  the  moonlight  a  man  wear¬ 
ing  a  wolf’s  hide  rushing  across  the  empty  cattle  kraal,  for 
the  grass  was  long  and  the  cattle  were  out  at  graze,  and 
with  him  countless  wolves,  black  and  grey.  Then  they  cried 
aloud  in  terror,  saying  that  the  ghosts  were  on  them,  and 
turned  to  flee  to  the  north  gate  of  the  kraal.  But,  behold ! 
here  also  they  met  a  man  clad  in  a  wolf’s  skin  only,  and 
with  him  countless  wolves,  black  and  grey. 

Now,  some  flung  themselves  to  earth  screaming  in  their 
fear,  and  some  strove  to  run  away,  but  the  greater  part  of 
the  soldiers,  and  with  them  many  of  the  men  of  the  kraal, 
came  together  in  knots,  being  minded  to  die  like  men  at  teeth 
of  the  ghosts,  and  that  though  they  shook  with  fear.  Then 
T  mslopogaas  howled  aloud,  and  howled  Galazi,  and  they 
flung  themselves  upon  the  soldiers  and  the  people  of  the 
kraal,  and  with  .them  came  the  wolves.  Then  a  crying  and 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  KING'S  SLA  VETS  123 

a  baying  rose  up  to  heaven  as  the  grey  wolves  leaped  and 
bit  and  tore.  Little  they  heeded  the  spears  and  kerries  of 
the  soldiers.  Some  were  killed,  but  the  rest  did  not  stay. 
Presently  the  knots  of  men  broke  up,  and  to  each  man 
wolves  hung  by  twos  and  threes,  dragging  him  to  earth. 
Some  few  tied,  indeed,  but  the  wolves  hunted  them  by 
gaze  and  scent,  and  pulled  them  down  before  they  passed 
the  gates  of  the  kraal. 

The  Wolf-Brethren  also  ravened  with  the  rest.  Busy  was 
the  Watcher,  and  many  bowed  beneath  him,  and  often  the 
spear  of  Umslopogaas  flashed  in  the  moonlight.  It  was  fin¬ 
ished ;  none  were  left  living  in  that  kraal,  and  the  wolves 
growled  sullenly  as  they  took  their  fill,  they  who  had  been 
hungry  for  many  days.  Now  the  brethren  met,  and  laughed 
in  their  wolf  joy,  because  they  had  slaughtered  those  who 
were  sent  out  to  slaughter.  They  called  to  the  wolves,  bid¬ 
ding  them  search  the  huts,  and  the  wolves  entered  the  huts 
as  dogs  enter  a  thicket,  and  killed  those  who  lurked  there, 
or  drove  them  forth  to  be  slain  without.  Presently  a  man, 
great  and  tall,  sprang  from  the  last  of  the  huts,  where  he 
had  hidden  himself,  and  the  wolves  outside  rushed  on  him 
to  drag  him  down.  But  Umslopogaas  beat  them  back,  for 
he  had  seen  the  face  of  the  man :  it  was  that  captain  whom 
Chaka  had  sent  out  to  kill  him.  He  beat  them  back,  and 
stalked  up  to  the  captain,  saying:  “ Greeting  to  you,  captain 
of  the  king  !  Now  tell  us  what  is  your  errand  here,  beneath 
the  shadow  of  her  who  sits  in  stone  ?  ”  And  he  pointed 
with  his  spear  to  the  grey  Witch  on  the  Ghost  Mountain, 
on  which  the  moon  shone  bright. 

Now  the  captain  had  a  great  heart,  though  he  had  hidden 
from  the  wolves,  and  answered  boldly  : — 

“  What  is  that  to  you,  wizard?  Your  ghost-wolves 
have  made  an  end  of  my  errand.  Let  them  make  an  end 
of  me  also.” 

“  Be  not  in  haste,  captain,”  said  Umslopogaas.  “  Say,  did 
you  not  seek  a  certain  youth,  the  son  of  Mopo  ?  ” 

“  That  is  so,”  answered  the  captain.  “  I  sought  one  youth, 
and  I  have  found  many  evil  spirits.”  And  he  looked  at 
the  wolves  tearing  their  prey,  and  shuddered. 


124 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  Say,  captain,”  quoth.  Umslopogaas,  drawing  back  hi? 
hood  of  wolfs  hide  so  that  the  moonlight  fell  upon  his  face, 
“  is  this  the  face  of  that  youth  whom  yon  sought  ?  ” 

“  It  is  the  face,”  answered  the  captain,  astonished. 

“Ay,”  laughed  Umslopogaas,  “it  is  the  face.  Fool!  I 
knew  your  errand  and  heard  your  words,  and  thus  have  I 
answered  them.”  And  he  pointed  to  the  dead.  “Now  choose, 
and  swiftly.  Will  you  run  for  your  life  against  my  wolves  ? 
Will  you  do  battle  for  your  life  against  these  four  ?  ”  And 
he  pointed  to  Greysnout  and  to  Blackfang,  to  Blood  and  to 
Deathgrip,  who  watched  him  with  slavering  lips  ;  “  or  will 
you  stand  face  to  face  with  me,  and  if  I  am  slain,  with  him 
who  bears  the  club,  and  with  whom  I  rule  this  people  black 
and  grey  ?  ” 

“  I  fear  ghosts,  but  of  men  I  have  no  fear,  though  they 
be  wizards,”  answered  the  captain. 

“Good!”  cried  Umslopogaas,  shaking  his  spear. 

Then  they  rushed  together,  and  that  fray  was  fierce.  For 
presently  the  spear  of  Umslopogaas  was  broken  in  the  shield 
of  the  captain  and  he  was  left  weaponless.  Now  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  turned  and  fled  swiftly,  bounding  over  the  dead  and 
the  wolves  who  preyed  upon  them,  and  the  captain  followed 
with  uplifted  spear,  and  mocked  him  as  he  came.  Galazi 
also  wondered  that  Umslopogaas  should  fly  from  a  single 
man.  Hither  and  thither  fled  Umslopogaas,  and  always  his 
eyes  were  on  the  earth.  Of  a  sudden,  Galazi,  who  watched, 
saw  him  sweep  forward  like  a  bird  and  stoop  to  the  ground. 
Then  he  wheeled  round,  and  lo  !  there  was  an  axe  in  his 
hand.  The  captain  rushed  at  him,  and  Umslopogaas  smote 
as  he  rushed,  and  the  blade  of  the  great  spear  that  was 
lifted  to  pierce  him  fell  to  the  ground  hewn  from  its  haft. 
Again  Umslopogaas  smote :  the  moon-shaped  axe  sank 
through  the  stout  shield  deep  into  the  breast  beyond. 
Then  the  captain  threw  up  his  arms  and  fell  to  the 
earth. 

“Ah!”  cried  Umslopogaas,  “you  sought  a  youth  to  slay 
him,  and  have  found  an  axe  to  be  slain  by  it !  Sleep  softly, 
captain  of  Chaka.” 

Then  Umslopogaas  spoke  to  Galazi,  saying:  “My  brother, 


VENTURING  TO  WIN  THE  AXE 


125 


I  will  figlit  no  more  with  the  spear,  hut  with  the  axe  alone ; 
it  was  to  seek  an  axe  that  I  ran  to  and  fro  like  a  coward. 
But  this  is  a  poor  thing !  See,  the  haft  is  split  because  of 
the  greatness  of  my  stroke  !  Now  this  is  my  desire — to 
win  that  great  axe  of  Jikiza,  which  is  called  Groan-Maker, 
of  which  we  have  heard  tell,  so  that  axe  and  club  may  stand 
together  in  the  fray.” 

“  That  must  be  for  another  night,”  said  Galazi.  “We  have 
not  done  so  ill  for  once.  Now  let  us  search  for  pots  and 
corn,  of  which  we  stand  in  need,  and  then  to  the  mountain 
before  dawn  finds  us.” 

Thus,  then,  did  the  Wolf-Brethren  bring  death  on  the 
impi  of  Chaka,  and  this  was  but  the  first  of  many  deaths 
that  they  wrought  with  the  help  of  the  wolves.  For  ever 
they  ravened  through  the  land  at  night,  and,  falling  on  those 
they  hated,  they  ate  them  up,  till  their  name  and  the  name 
of  the  ghost-wolves  became  terrible  in  the  ears  of  men,  and 
the  land  was  swept  clean.  But  they  found  that  the  wolves 
would  not  go  abroad  to  worry  everywhere.  Thus,  on  a  cer¬ 
tain  night,  they  set  out  to  fall  upon  the  kraals  of  the  People 
of  the  Axe,  where  dwelt  the  chief  Jikiza,  who  was  named  the 
Unconquered,  and  owned  the  axe  Groan-Maker,  but  when 
they  neared  the  kraal  the  wolves  turned  back  and  fled. 
Then  Galazi  remembered  the  dream  that  he  had  dreamed, 
in  which  the  Dead  One  in  the  cave  had  seemed  to  speak, 
telling  him  that  there  only  where  the  men-eaters  had  hunted 
in  the  past  might  the  wolves  hunt  to-day.  So  they  returned 
home,  but  Umslopogaas  set  himself  to  find  a  plan  to  win 
the  axe. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

UMSLOPOGAAS  VENTURES  OUT  TO  WIN  THE  AXE. 

Now  many  moons  had  gone  by  since  Umslopogaas  became 
a  king  of  the  wolves,  and  he  was  a  man  full  grown,  a  man 
fierce  and  tall  and  keen ;  a  slayer  of  men,  fleet  of  foot  and 


126 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


of  valour  unequalled,  seeing  by  night  as  well  as  by  day. 
But  he  was  not  yet  named  the  Slaughterer,  and  not  yet  did 
he  hold  that  iron  cliieftainess,  the  axe  Groan-Maker.  Still, 
the  desire  to  win  the  axe  was  foremost  in  his  mind,  for  no 
woman  had  entered  there,  who  when  she  enters  drives  out 
all  other  desire — ay,  my  father,  even  that  of  good  weapons. 
At  times,  indeed,  Umslopogaas  would  lurk  in  the  reeds  by 
the  river  looking  at  the  kraal  of  Jikiza  the  Unconquered, 
and  would  watch  the  gates  of  his  kraal,  and  once  as  he 
lurked  he  saw  a  man  great,  broad  and  hairy,  who  bore  upon 
his  shoulder  a  shining  axe,  hafted  with  the  horn  of  a 
rhinoceros.  After  that  his  greed  for  this  axe  entered  into 
Umslopogaas  more  and  more,  till  at  length  he  scarcely 
could  sleep  for  thinking  of  it,  and  to  Galazi  he  spoke  of 
little  else,  wearying  him  much  with  his  talk,  for  Galazi 
loved  silence.  But  for  all  his  longing  he  could  find  no 
means  to  win  it. 

Now  it  befell  that  as  Umslopogaas  hid  one  evening  in 
the  reeds,  watching  the  kraal  of  Jikiza,  he  saw  a  maiden 
straight  and  fair,  whose  skin  shone  like  the  copper  anklets 
on  her  limbs.  She  walked  slowly  towards  the  reeds  where 
he  lay  hidden.  Nor  did  she  stop  at  the  brink  of  the 
reeds;  she  entered  them  and  sat  herself  down  within  a 
spear’s  length  of  where  Umslopogaas  was  seated,  and  at 
once  began  to  weep,  speaking  to  herself  as  she  wept. 

“  Would  that  the  ghost-wolves  might  fall  on  him  and 
all  that  is  his,”  she  sobbed,  “  ay,  and  on  Masilo  also  !  I 
would  hound  them  on,  even  if  I  myself  must  next  know 
their  fangs.  Better  to  die  by  the  teeth  of  the  wolves  than 
to  be  sold  to  this  fat  pig  of  a  Masilo.  Oh !  if  I  must 
wed  him,  I  will  give  him  a  knife  for  the  bride’s  kiss.  Oh ! 
that  I  were  lady  of  the  ghost-wolves,  there  should  be  a 
picking  of  bones  in  the  kraal  of  Jikiza  before  the  moon 
grows  young  again.” 

Umslopogaas  heard,  and  of  a  sudden  reared  himself  up 
before  the  maid,  and  he  was  great  and  wild  to  look  on,  and 
the  she-wolf’s  fangs  shone  upon  his  brow. 

“The  ghost-wolves  are  at  hand,  damsel,”  he  said.  “They 
are  ever  at  hand  for  those  who  need  them.” 


‘The  ghost- wolves  are  at  hand,  damsel.’ 


VENTURING  TO  WIN  THE  AXE 


127 


Now  the  maid  saw  him  and  screamed  faintly,  then  grew 
silent,  wondering  at  the  greatness  and  the  fierce  eyes  of 
the  man  who  spoke  to  her. 

“Who  are  you?57  she  asked.  “I  fear  you  not,  whoever 
you  are.55 

“There  you  are  wrong,  damsel,  for  all  men  fear  me, 
and  they  have  cause  to  fear.  I  am  one  of  the  Wolf- 
Brethren,  whose  names  have  been  told  of ;  I  am  a  wizard  of 
the  Ghost  Mountain.  Take  heed,  now,  lest  I  kill  you.  It 
will  be  of  little  avail  to  call  upon  your  people,  for  my  feet 
are  fleeter  than  theirs.’5 

“I  have  no  wish  to  call  upon  my  people,  Wolf-Man,55  she 
answered.  “  And  for  the  rest,  I  am  too  young  to  kill.55 

“That  is  so,  maiden,55  answered  Umslopogaas,  looking  at 
her  beauty.  “  What  were  the  words  upon  your  lips  as  to 
Jikiza  and  a  certain  Masilo  ?  Were  they  not  fierce  words, 
such  as  my  heart  likes  well  ?  55 

“It  seems  that  you  heard  them,55  answered  the  girl. 
“  What  need  to  waste  breath  in  speaking  them  again  ?  55 

“No  need,  maiden.  Now  tell  me  your  story ;  perhaps  I 
may  find  a  way  to  help  you.55 

“  There  is  little  to  tell,55  she  answered.  “  It  is  a  small 
tale  and  a  common.  My  name  is  Zinita,  and  Jikiza  the 
Unconquered  is  my  step-father.  He  married  my  mother, 
who  is  dead,  but  none  of  his  blood  is  in  me.  Now  he 
would  give  me  in  marriage  to  a  certain  Masilo,  a  fat  man 
and  an  old,  whom  I  hate,  because  Masilo  offers  many 
cattle  for  me.55 

“  Is  there,  then,  another  whom  you  would  wed,  maiden  ?  55 
asked  Umslopogaas. 

“There  is  none,55  answered  Zinita,  looking  him  in  the 
eyes. 

“  And  is  there  no  path  by  which  you  may  escape  from 
Masilo  ? 55 

“'There  is  only  one  path,  Wolf-Man — by  death.  If  I  die, 
I  shall  escape ;  if  Masilo  dies,  I  shall  escape ;  but  to  little 
end,  for  I  shall  be  given  to  another;  but  if  Jikiza  dies,  then 
it  will  be  well.  What  of  that  wolf-people  of  yours,  are  they 
not  hungry,  Wolf-Man  ? 55 


128 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“I  cannot  bring  them  here,”  answered  Umslopogaas. 
“  Is  there  no  other  way  ?  ” 

“There  is  another  way,”  said  Zinita,  “if  one  can  be 
found  to  try  it.”  And  again  she  looked  at  him  strangely, 
causing  the  blood  to  beat  within  him.  “  Hearken  !  do  you 
not  know  how  our  people  are  governed  ?  They  are 
governed  by  him  who  holds  the  axe  Groan-Maker.  He 
that  can  win  the  axe  in  war  from  the  hand  of  him  who 
holds  it,  shall  be  our  chief.  But  if  he  who  holds  the 
axe  dies  unconquered,  then  his  son  takes  his  place  and 
with  it  the  axe.  It  has  been  thus,  indeed,  for  four  genera¬ 
tions,  since  he  who  held  Groan-Maker  has  always  been 
unconquerable.  But  I  have  heard  that  the  great-grand¬ 
father  of  Jikiza  won  the  axe  from  him  who  held  it  in  his 
day ;  he  won  it  by  fraud.  Bor  when  the  axe  had  fallen 
on  him  but  lightly,  he  fell  over,  feigning  death.  Then 
the  owner  of  the  axe  laughed,  and  turned  to  walk  away. 
But  the  forefather  of  Jikiza  sprang  up  behind  him  and 
pierced  him  through  with  a  spear,  and  thus  he  became  chief 
of  the  People  of  the  Axe.  Therefore,  it  is  the  custom  of 
Jikiza  to  hew  off  the  heads  of  those  whom  he  kills  with 
the  axe.” 

“Hoes  he,  then,  slay  many  ?”  asked  Umslopogaas. 

“Of  late  years,  few  indeed,”  she  said,  “for  none  dare 
stand  against  him — no,  not  with  all  to  win.  For,  holding  the 
axe  Groan-Maker,  he  is  unconquerable,  and  to  fight  with 
him  is  sure  death.  Fifty-and-one  have  tried  in  all,  and 
before  the  hut  of  Jikiza  there  are  piled  fifty-and-one 
white  skulls.  And  know  this,  the  axe  must  be  won  in  fight ; 
if  it  is  stolen  or  found,  it  has  no  virtue — nay,  it  brings 
shame  and  death  to  him  who  holds  it.” 

“  How,  then,  may  a  man  give  battle  to  Jikiza  ?  ”  he  asked 
again. 

“  Thus  :  Once  in  every  year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  new 
moon  of  the  summer  season,  Jikiza  holds  a  meeting  of  the 
headmen.  Then  he  must  rise  and  challenge  all  or  any  to 
come  forward  and  do  battle  with  him  to  win  the  axe  and 
become  chief  in  his  place.  How  if  one  comes  forward, 
they  go  into  the  cattle  kraal,  and  there  the  matter  is  ended. 


VENTURING  TO  WIN  THE  AXE  129 

Afterwards,  when  the  head  is  hewn  from  his  foe,  Jikiza 
goes  back  to  the  meeting  of  the  headmen,  and  they  talk  as 
before.  All  are  free  to  come  to  the  meeting,  and  Jikiza 
must  fight  with  them  if  they  wish  it,  whoever  they  be.” 

“  Perhaps  I  shall  be  there,”  said  Umslopogaas. 

“  After  this  meeting  at  the  new  moon,  I  am  to  be  given 
in  marriage  to  Masilo,”  said  the  maid.  “  But  should  one 
conquer  Jikiza,  then  he  will  be  chief,  and  can  give  me  in 
marriage  to  whom  he  will.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  understood  her  meaning,  and  knew 
that  he  had  found  favour  in  her  sight ;  and  the  thought 
moved  him  a  little,  for  women  were  strange  to  him  as  yet. 

“  If  perchance  I  should  be  there,”  he  said,  u  and  if  per¬ 
chance  I  should  win  the  iron  chief tainess,  the  axe  Groan- 
Maker,  and  rule  over  the  People  of  the  Axe,  you  should  not 
live  far  from  the  shadow  of  the  axe  thenceforward,  Maid 
Zinita.” 

“It  is  well,  Wolf-Man,  though  some  might  not  wish  to 
dwell  in  that  shadow ;  but  first  you  must  win  the  axe. 
Many  have  tried,  and  all  have  failed.” 

“  Yet  one  must  succeed  at  last,”  he  said,  u  and  so,  fare¬ 
well!”  and  he  leaped  into  the  torrent  of  the  river,  and 
swam  it  with  great  strokes. 

Now  the  maid  Zinita  watched  him  till  he  was  gone,  and 
love  of  him  entered  into  her  heart — a  love  that  was  fierce 
and  jealous  and  strong.  But  as  he  wended  to  the  Ghost 
Mountain  Umslopogaas  thought  rather  of  axe  Groan-Maker 
than  of  Maid  Zinita;  for  ever,  at  the  bottom,  Umslopogaas 
loved  war  more  than  women,  though  this  has  been  his  fate, 
that  women  have  brought  sorrow  on  his  head. 

Fifteen  days  must  pass  before  the  day  of  the  new  moon, 
and  during  this  time  Umslopogaas  thought  much  and  said 
little.  Still,  he  told  Galazi  something  of  the  tale,  and  that 
he  was  determined  to  do  battle  with  Jikiza  the  Lnconquered 
for  the  axe  Groan-Maker.  Galazi  said  that  he  would  do  well 
to  let  it  be,  and  that  it  was  better  to  stay  with  the  wolves 
than  to  go  out  seeking  for  strange  weapons.  He  said  also 
that  even  if  he  won  the  axe,  the  matter  might  not  stay  there, 

K 


130 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


for  he  must  take  the  girl  also,  and  his  heart  boded  no  good 
of  women.  It  had  been  a  girl  who  poisoned  his  father  in 
the  kraals  of  the  Halakazi.  To  all  of  which  Umslopogaas 
answered  nothing,  for  his  heart  was  set  both  on  the  axe  and 
the  girl,  but  more  on  the  first  than  the  last. 

So  the  time  wore  on,  and  at  length  came  the  day  of 
the  new  moon.  At  the  dawn  of  that  day  Umslopogaas 
arose  and  clad  himself  in  a  moocha,  binding  the  she-wolFs 
skin  round  his  middle  beneath  the  moocha.  In  his  hand 
he  took  a  stout  fighting-shield,  which  he  had  made  of  buf¬ 
falo  hide,  and  that  same  light  moon-shaped  axe  with  which 
he  had  slain  the  captain  of  Chaka. 

“A  poor  weapon  with  which  to  kill  Jikiza  the  Uncon¬ 
quered, ■ ”  said  Galazi,  eyeing  it  askance. 

“It  shall  serve  my  turn,”  answered  Umslopogaas. 

Now  Umslopogaas  ate,  and  then  they  moved  together 
slowly  down  the  mountain  and  crossed  the  river  by  a  ford, 
for  he  wished  to  save  his  strength.  On  the  farther  side  of 
the  river  Galazi  hid  himself  in  the  reeds,  because'  his  face 
was  known,  and  there  Umslopogaas  bade  him  farewell,  not 
knowing  if  he  should  look  upon  him  again.  Afterwards 
he  walked  up  to  the  Great  Place  of  Jikiza.  Now  when  he 
reached  the  gates  of  the  kraal,  he  saw  that  many  people 
were  streaming  through  them,  and  mingled  with  the  people. 
Presently  they  came  to  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  huts 
of  Jikiza,  and  there  the  headmen  were  gathered  together. 
In  the  centre  of  them,  and  before  a  heap  of  the  skulls  of 
men  which  were  piled  up  against  his  doorposts,  sat  Jikiza, 
a  huge  man,  a  hairy  and  a  proud,  who  glared  about  him 
rolling  his  eyes.  Fastened  to  his  arm  by  a  thong  of  leather 
was  the  great  axe  Groan-Maker,  and  each  man  as  he  came 
up  saluted  the  axe,  calling  it  “  Inkosikaas,”  or  chieftainess, 
but  he  did  not  salute  Jikiza.  Umslopogaas  sat  down  with 
the  people  in  front  of  the  councillors,  and  few  took  anv 
notice  of  him,  except  Zinita,  who  moved  sullenly  to  and 
fro  bearing  gourds  of  beer  to  the  councillors.  Near  to  Jikiza, 
on  his  right  hand,  sat  a  fat  man  with  small  and  twinkling 
eyes,  who  watched  the  maid  Zinita  greedily. 

“ Yon  man,”  thought  Umslopogaas,  “is  Masilo..  The 
better  for  blood-letting  will  you  be,  Masilo.” 


VENTURING  TO  WIN  THE  AXE 


I31 

Presently  Jikiza  spoke,  rolling  his  eyes :  “  This  is  the 
matter  before  you,  councillors.  I  have  settled  it  in  my 
mind  to  give  my  step-daughter  Zinita  in  marriage  to  Masilo, 
but  the  marriage  gift  is  not  yet  agreed  on.  I  demand  a 
hundred  head  of  cattle  from  Masilo,  for  the  maid  is  fair 
and  straight,  a  proper  maid,  and,  moreover,  my  daughter, 
though  not  of  my  blood.  But  Masilo  offers  fifty  head  only, 
therefore  I  ask  you  to  settle  it.” 

“We  hear  you,  Lord  of  the  Axe,”  answered  one  of  the 
councillors,  “but  first,  0  Unconquered,  you  must  on  this 
day  of  the  year,  according  to  ancient  custom,  give  public 
challenge  to  any  man  to  fight  you  for  the  Groan-Maker 
and  for  your  place  as  chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.” 

“This  is  a  wearisome  thing,”  grumbled  Jikiza.  “Can  I 
never  have  done  in  it  ?  Fifty-and-three  have  I  slain  in  my 
youth  without  a  wound,  and  now  for  many  years  I  have  chal¬ 
lenged,  like  a  cock  on  a  dunghill,  and  none  crow  in  answer. 

“  Ho,  now  !  Is  there  any  man  who  will  come  forward  and 
do  battle  with  me,  Jikiza,  for  the  great  axe  Groan-Maker  ? 
To  him  who  can  win  it,  it  shall  be,  and  with  it  the  chieftain¬ 
ship  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.” 

Thus  he  spoke  very  fast,  as  a  man  gabbles  a  prayer  to  a 
spirit  in  whom  he  has  little  faith,  then  turned  once  more  to 
talk  of  the  cattle  of  Masilo  and  of  the  maid  Zinita.  But 
suddenly  Umslopogaas  stood  up,  looking  at  him  over  the 
top  of  his  war  shield,  and  crying,  “  Here  is  one,  0  Jikiza, 
who  will  do  battle  with  you  for  the  axe  Groan-Maker  and 
for  the  chieftainship  that  is  to  him  who  holds  the  axe.” 

Now,  all  the  people  laughed,  and  Jikiza  glared  at  him. 

“Come  forth  from  behind  that  big  shield  of  yours,”  he 
said.  “Come  out  and  tell  me  your  name  and  lineage — you 
who  would  do  battle  with  the  Unconquered  for  the  ancient 
axe.” 

Then  Umslopogaas  came  forward,  and  he  looked  so  fierce, 
though  he  was  but  young,  that  the  people  laughed  no  more. 

“What  is  my  name  and  lineage  to  you,  Jikiza  ?  ”  he  said. 
“Let  it  be,  and  hasten  to  do  me  battle,  as  you  must  by  the 
custom,  for  I  am  eager  to  handle  the  Groan-Maker  and  to 
sit  in  your  seat  and  settle  this  matter  of  the  cattle  of  Masilo 

k  2 


132 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


the  Pig.  When  I  have  killed  you  I  will  take  a  name  who 
now  have  none.” 

Now  once  more  the  people  laughed,  but  Jikiza  grew  mad 
with  wrath,  and  sprang  up  gasping. 

“What!”  he  said,  “you  dare  to  speak  thus  to  me,  you 
babe  un  weaned,  to  me  the  Unconquered,  the  holder  of 
the  axe  !  Never  did  I  think  to  live  to  hear  such  talk  from 
a  long-legged  pup.  On  to  the  cattle  kraal,  to  the  cattle 
kraal,  People  of  the  Axe,  that  I  may  hew  this  braggart’s 
head  from  his  shoulders.  He  would  stand  in  my  place, 
would  he  ? — the  place  that  I  and  my  fathers  have  held  for 
four  generations  by  virtue  of  the  axe.  I  tell  you  all,  that 
presently  I  will  stand  upon  his  head,  and  then  we  will  set¬ 
tle  the  matter  of  Masilo.” 

“Babble  not  so  fast,  man,”  quoth  Umslopogaas,  “or  if 
you  must  babble,  speak  those  words  which  you  would  say 
ere  you  bid  the  sun  farewell.” 

Now,  Jikiza  choked  with  rage,  and  foam  came  from  his 
lips  so  that  he  could  not  speak,  but  the  people  found  this 
sport — all  except  Masilo,  who  looked  askance  at  the  stran¬ 
ger,  tall  and  fierce,  and  Zinita,  who  looked  at  Masilo,  and 
with  no  love.  So  they  moved  down  to  the  cattle  kraal, 
and  Galazi,  seeing  it  from  afar,  could  keep  away  no  longer, 
but  drew  near  and  mingled  with  the  crowd. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

UMSLOPOGAAS  BECOMES  CHIEF  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  AXE. 

Now,  when  Umslopogaas  and  Jikiza  the  Unconquered 
had  come  to  the  cattle  kraal,  they  were  set  in  its  centre  and 
there  were  ten  paces  between  them.  Umslopogaas  was 
armed  with  the  great  shield  and  the  light  moon-shaped  axe, 
Jikiza  carried  the  Groan-Maker  and  a  small  dancing  shield, 
and,  looking  at  the  weapons  of  the  two,  people  thought  that 
this  stranger  would  furnish  no  sport  to  the  holder  of  the  axe. 
“  He  is  ill-armed,”  said  an  old  man,  “  it  should  be  other- 


UMSLOPOGAAS  BECOMES  CHIEF 


*33 


wise — large  axe,  small  shield.  Jikiza  is  unconquerable, 
and  the  big  shield  will  not  help  this  long-legged  stranger 
when  Groan-Maker  rattles  on  the  buffalo  hide.”  The  old 
man  spoke  thus  in  the  hearing  of  Galazi  the  Wolf,  and  Galazi 
thought  that  he  spoke  wisely,  and  sorrowed  for  the  fate  of 
his  brother. 

Now,  the  word  was  given,  and  Jikiza  rushed  on  Umslopo- 
gaas,  roaring,  for  his  rage  was  great.  But  Umslopogaas  did 
not  stir  till  his  foe  was  about  to  strike,  then  suddenly  he 
leaped  aside,  and  as  Jikiza  passed  he  smote  him  hard  upon 
the  back  with  the  flat  of  his  axe,  making  a  great  sound,  for 
it  was  not  his  plan  to  try  to  kill  Jikiza  with  this  axe. 
Now,  a  shout  of  laughter  went  up  from  the  hundreds 
of  the  people,  and  the  heart  of  Jikiza  nearly  burst  with 
rage  because  of  the  shame  of  that  blow.  Bound  he  came 
like  a  bull  that  is  mad,  and  once  more  rushed  at  Umslopo¬ 
gaas,  who  lifted  his  shield  to  meet  him.  Then,  of  a  sudden, 
just  when  the  great  axe  leapt  on  high,  Umslopogaas  uttered 
a  cry  as  of  fear,  and,  turning,  fled  before  the  face  of  Jikiza. 
Now  once  more  the  shout  of  laughter  went  up,  while  Um¬ 
slopogaas  fled  swiftly,  and  after  him  rushed  Jikiza,  blind 
with  fnry.  Bound  and  about  the  kraal  sped  Umslopogaas, 
scarcely  a  spear’s  length  ahead  of  Jikiza,  and  he  ran  keep¬ 
ing  his  back  to  the  sun  as  much  as  might  be,  that  he  might 
watch  the  shadow  of  Jikiza.  A  second  time  he  sped  round, 
while  the  people  cheered  the  chase  as  hunters  cheer  a  dog 
which  pursues  a  buck.  So  cunningly  did  Umslopogaas  run, 
that,  though  he  seemed  to  reel  with  weakness  in  such 
fashion  that  men  thought  his  breath  was  gone,  yet  he  went 
ever  faster  and  faster,  drawing  Jikiza  after  him. 

Now,  when  Umslopogaas  knew  by  the  breathing  of  his  foe 
and  by  the  staggering  of  his  shadow  that  his  strength  was 
spent,  suddenly  he  made  as  though  he  were  about  to  fall 
himself,  and  stumbled  out  of  the  path  far  to  the  right,  and 
as  he  stumbled  he  let  drop  his  great  shield  full  in  the  way 
of  Jikiza’s  feet.  Then  it  came  about  that  Jikiza,  rushing 
on  blindly,  caught  his  feet  in  the  shield  and  fell  headlong 
to  earth.  Umslopogaas  saw,  and  swooped  on  him  like  an 
eagle  on  a  dove.  Before  men  could  so  much  as  think,  he 


134 


NADA  THE  LILY 


had  seized  the  axe  Groan-Maker,  and  with  a  blow  of  the 
steel  he  held  had  severed  the  thong  of  leather  which  bound 
it  to  the  wrist  of  Jikiza,  and  sprung  back,  holding  the 
great  axe  aloft,  and  casting  down  his  own  weapon  upon  the 
ground.  Now,  the  watchers  saw  all  the  cunning  of  his  fight, 
and  those  of  them  who  hated  Jikiza  shouted  aloud.  But 
others  were  silent. 

Slowly  Jikiza  gathered  himself  from  the  ground,  wonder¬ 
ing  if  he  were  still  alive,  and  as  he  rose  he  grasped  the 
little  axe  of  Umslopogaas,  and,  looking  at  it,  he  wept.  But 
Umslopogaas  held  up  the  great  Groan-Maker,  the  iron  chief- 
tainess,  and  examined  its  curved  points  of  blue  steel,  the 
gouge  that  stands  behind  it,  and  the  beauty  of  its  haft, 
bound  about  with  wire  of  brass,  and  ending  in  a  knob  like 
the  knob  of  a  stick,  as  a  lover  looks  upon  the  beauty  of  his 
bride.  Then  before  all  men  he  kissed  the  broad  blade  and 
cried  aloud : — 

“  Greeting  to  thee,  my  Chieftainess,  greeting  to  thee,  Wife 
of  my  youth,  whom  I  have  won  in  war.  Never  shall  we  part, 
thou  and  I,  and  together  will  we  die,  thou  and  I,  for  I  am 
not  minded  that  others  should  handle  thee  when  I  am 
gone.” 

Thus  he  cried  in  the  hearing  of  men,  then  turned  to 
Jikiza,  who  stood  weeping,  because  he  had  lost  all. 

“ Where  now  is  your  pride,  0  Unconquered?”  laughed 
Umslopogaas.  “  Fight  on.  You  are  as  well  armed  as  I  was 
a  while  ago,  when  I  did  not  fear  to  stand  before  you.” 

Jikiza  looked  at  him  for  a  moment,  then  with  a  curse  he 
hurled  the  little  axe  at  him,  and,  turning,  fled  swiftly 
towards  the  gates  of  the  cattle  kraal. 

Umslopogaas  stooped,  and  the  little  axe  sped  over  him. 
Then  he  stood  for  awhile  watching,  and  the  people  thought 
that  he  meant  to  let  Jikiza  go.  But  that  was  not  his 
desire;  he  waited,  indeed,  till  Jikiza  had  covered  nearly  half 
the  space  between  him  and  the  gate,  then  with  a  roar  he 
leaped  forward,  as  light  leaps  from  a  cloud,  and  so  fast  did 
his  feet  fly  that  the  watchers  scarcely  could  see  them  move. 
Jikiza  fled  fast  also,  yet  he  seemed  but  as  one  who  stands 
still.  Now  he  reached  the  gate  of  the  kraal,  now  there  was 


* 


‘  A  rush,  a  light  of  downward  falling  steel.’ 


UMSLOPOGAAS  BECOMES  CHIEF 


135 


a  rush,  a  light  of  downward  falling  steel,  and  something 
swept  past  him.  Then,  behold !  Jikiza  fell  in  the  gateway 
of  the  cattle  kraal,  and  all  saw  that  he  was  dead,  smitten 
to  death  by  that  mighty  axe  Groan-Maker,  which  he  and  his 
fathers  had  held  for  many  years. 

A  great  shout  went  up  from  the  crowd  of  watchers  when 
they  knew  that  Jikiza  the  Unconquered  was  killed  at  last, 
and  there  were  many  who  hailed  Umslopogaas,  naming  him 
Chief  and  Lord  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.  But  the  sons  of 
Jikiza  to  the  number  of  ten,  great  men  and  brave,  rushed  on 
Umslopogaas  to  kill  him.  Umslopogaas  ran  backwards, 
lifting  up  the  Groan-Maker,  when  certain  councillors  of  the 
people  flung  themselves  in  between  them,  crying,  “Hold!” 

“Is  not  this  your  law,  ye  councillors,”  said  Umslopo¬ 
gaas,  “  that,  having  conquered  the  chief  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe,  I  myself  am  chief  ?  ” 

“That  is  our  law  indeed,  stranger,”  answered  an  aged 
councillor,  “but  this  also  is  our  law:  that  now  you  must  do 
battle,  one  by  one,  with  all  who  come  against  you.  So  it 
was  in  my  father’s  time,  when  the  grandfather  of  him  who 
now  lies  dead  won  the  axe,  and  so  it  must  be  again  to-day.” 

“I  have  nothing  to  say  against  the  rule,”  said  Umslopo¬ 
gaas.  “Now  who  is  there  who  will  come  up  against  me  to 
do  battle  for  the  axe  Groan-Maker  and  the  chieftainship  of 
the  People  of  the  Axe  ?  ” 

Then  all  the  ten  sons  of  Jikiza  stepped  forward  as  one 
man,  for  their  hearts  were  mad  with  wrath  because  of  the 
death  of  their  father  and  because  the  chieftainship  had 
gone  from  their  race,  so  that  in  truth  they  cared  little  if  they 
lived  or  died.  But  there  were  none  besides  these,  for  all  men 
feared  to  stand  before  Umslopogaas  and  the  Groan-Maker. 

LTmslopogaas  counted  them.  “There  are  ten,  by  the  head 
of  Chaka !  ”  he  cried.  “Now  if  I  must  fight  all  these  one 
by  one,  no  time  will  be  left  to  me  this  day  to  talk  of  the 
matter  of  Masilo  and  of  the  maid  Zinita.  Hearken  !  What 
say  you,  sons  of  Jikiza  the  Conquered  ?  If  I  find  one  other 
to  stand  beside  me  in  the  fray,  and  all  of  you  come  on  at 
once  against  us  twain,  ten  against  two,  to  slay  us  or  be  slain, 
will  that  be  to  your  minds  ?  ” 


136 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


The  brethren  consulted  together,  and  held  that  so  the^ 
should  be  in  better  case  than  if  they  went  up  one  by  one. 

“So  be  it,”  they  said,  and  the  councillors  assented. 

Now,  as  he  fled  round  and  round,  Umslopogaas  had  seen 
the  face  of  Galazi,  his  brother,  in  the  throng,  and  knew  that 
he  hungered  to  share  the  fight.  So  he  called  aloud  that  he 
whom  he  should  choose,  and  who  would  stand  back  to  back 
with  him  in  the  fray,  if  victory  were  theirs,  should  be  the  first 
after  him  among  the  People  of  the  Axe,  and  as  he  called, 
he  walked  slowly  down  the  line  scanning  the  faces  of  all, 
till  he  came  to  where  Galazi  stood  leaning  on  the  Watcher. 

“Here  is  a  great  fellow  who  bears  a  great  club,”  said 
Umslopogaas.  “  How  are  you  named,  fellow  ?  ” 

“I  am  named  Wolf,”  answered  Galazi. 

“  Say,  now,  Wolf,  are  you  willing  to  stand  back  to  back 
with  me  in  this  fray  of  two  against  ten  ?  If  victory  is  ours, 
you  shall  be  next  to  me  among  this  people.” 

“Better  I  love  the  wild  woods  and  the  mountain’s  breast 
than  the  kraals  of  men  and  the  kiss  of  wives,  Axebearer,” 
answered  Galazi.  “Yet,  because  you  have  shown  yourself  a 
warrior  of  might,  and  to  taste  again  of  the  joy  of  battle,  I 
will  stand  back  to  back  with  you,  Axebearer,  and  see  this 
matter  ended.” 

“A  bargain,  Wolf!”  cried  Umslopogaas.  And  they 
walked  side  by  side — a  mighty  pair ! — till  they  came  to 
the  centre  of  the  cattle  kraal.  All  there  looked  on  them 
wondering,  and  it  came  into  the  thoughts  of  some  that 
these  were  none  other  than  the  Wolf-Brethren  who  dwelt 
upon  the  Ghost  Mountain. 

“Now  axe  Groan-Maker  and  club  Watcher  are  come 
together,  Galazi,”  said  Umslopogaas  as  they  walked,  “and 
I  think  that  few  can  stand  before  them.” 

“Some  shall  find  it  so,”  answered  Galazi.  “At  the  least, 
the  fray  will  be  merry,  and  what  matter  how  frays  end  ?  ” 

“Ah,”  said  Umslopogaas,  “victory  is  good,  but  death 
ends  all  and  is  best  of  all.” 

Then  they  spoke  of  the  fashion  in  which  they  should 
fight,  and  Umslopogaas  looked  curiously  at  the  axe  he  car¬ 
ried,  and  at  the  point  on  its  hammer,  balancing  it  in  his 


UMSLOPOGAAS  BECOMES  CHIEF 


137 


hand.  When  he  had  looked  long,  the  pair  took  their  stand 
back  to  back  in  the  centre  of  the  kraal,  and  people  saw  that 
Umslopogaas  held  the  axe  in  a  new  fashion,  its  curved  blade 
being  inwards  towards  his  breast,  and  the  hollow  point 
turned  towards  the  foe.  The  ten  brethren  gathered  them¬ 
selves  together,  shaking  their  assegais ;  five  of  them  stood 
before  Umslopogaas  and  five  before  Galazi  the  Wolf. 
They  were  all  great  men,  made  fierce  with  rage  and  shame. 

“Now  nothing  except  witchcraft  can  save  these  two,” 
said  a  councillor  to  one  who  stood  by  him. 

“Yet  there  is  virtue  in  the  axe,”  answered  the  other, 
“and  for  the  club,  it  seems  that  I  know  it:  I  think  it  is 
named  Watcher  of  the  Fords,  and  woe  to  those  who  stand 
before  the  Watcher.  I  myself  have  seen  him  aloft  when  I 
was  young ;  moreover,  these  are  no  cravens  who  hold  the 
axe  and  club.  They  are  but  lads,  indeed,  yet  they  have 
drunk  wolf’s  milk.” 

Meanwhile,  an  aged  man  drew  near  to  speak  the  word  of 
onset; ‘it  was  that  same  man  who  had  set  out  the  law  to 
Umslopogaas.  He  must  give  the  signal  by  throwing  up  a 
spear,  and  when  it  struck  the  ground,  then  the  fight  should - 
begin.  The  old  man  took  the  spear  and  threw  it,  but  his 
hand  was  weak,  and  he  cast  so  clumsily  that  it  fell  among 
the  sons  of  Jikiza,  who  stood  before  Umslopogaas,  causing 
them  to  open  up  to  let  it  pass  between  them,  and  drawing 
the  eyes  of  all  ten  of  them  to  it.  But  Umslopogaas  watched 
for  the  touching  of  the  spear  only,  being  careless  where  it 
touched.  As  the  point  of  it  kissed  the  earth,  he  said  a 
word,  and  lo  !  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi,  not  waiting  for  the 
onslaught  of  the  ten,  as  men  had  thought  they  must,  sprang 
forward,  each  at  the  line  of  foes  who  were  before  him. 
While  the  ten  still  stood  confused,  for  it  had  been  their 
plan  to  attack,  the  Wolf-Brethren  were  on  them.  Groan- 
Maker  was  up,  but  as  for  no  great  stroke.  He  did  but  peck, 
as  a  bird  pecks  with  his  bill,  and  yet  a  man  dropped  dead. 
The  Watcher  also  was  up,  but  he  fell  like  a  falling  tree, 
and  was  the  death  of  one.  Through  the  lines  of  the  ten 
passed  the  Wolf-Brethren  in  the  gaps  that  each  had  made. 
Then  they  turned  swiftly  and  charged  towards  each  other 


138 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


again;  again  Groan-Maker  pecked,  again  the  Watcher  thun¬ 
dered,  and  lo !  once  more  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  stood 
back  to  back  unhurt,  but  before  them  lay  four  men  dead. 

The  onslaught  and  the  return  were  so  swift,  that  men 
scarcely  understood  what  had  been  done ;  even  those  of  the 
sons  of  Jikiza  who  were  left  stared  at  each  other  wondering. 
Then  they  knew  that  they  were  but  six,  for  four  of  them 
were  dead.  With  a  shout  of  rage  they  rushed  upon  the 
pair  from  both  sides,  but  in  either  case  one  was  the  most 
eager,  arid  outstepped  the  other  two,  and  thus  it  came  about 
that  time  was  given  the  Wolf-Brethren  to  strike  at  him 
alone,  before  his  fellows  were  at  his  side.  He  who  came  at 
Umslopogaas  drove  at  him  with  his  spear,  but  he  was  not  to 
be  caught  thus,  for  he  bent  his  middle  sideways,  so  that  the 
spear  only  cut  his  skin,  and  as  he  bent  tapped  with  the 
point  of  the  axe  at  the  head  of  the  smiter,  dealing  death 
on  him. 

“  Yonder  Woodpecker  has  a  bill  of  steel,  and  he  can  use 
it  well,”  said  the  councillor  to  him  who  stood  by  hirfi. 

“  This  is  a  Slaughterer  indeed,”  the  man  answered,  and  the 
people  heard  the  names.  Thenceforth  they  knew  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  as  the  Woodpecker,  and  as  Bulalio,  or  the  Slaughterer, 
and  by  no  other  names.  Now,  he  who  came  at  Galazi  the 
Wolf  rushed  on  wildly,  holding  his  spear  short.  But  Galazi 
was  cunning  in  war.  He  took  one  step  forward  to  meet  him, 
then,  swinging  the  Watcher  backward,  he  let  him  fall  at  the 
full  length  of  arms  and  club.  The  child  of  Jikiza  lifted  his 
shield  to  catch  the  blow,  but  the  shield  was  to  the  Watcher 
what  a  leaf  is  to  the  wind.  Full  on  its  hide  the  huge  club 
fell,  making  a  loud  sound ;  the  war-shield  doubled  up  like 
a  raw  skin,  and  he  who  bore  it  fell  crushed  to  the  earth. 

Nowr  for  a  moment,  the  four  who  were  left  of  the  sons  of 
Jikiza  hovered  round  the  pair,  feinting  at  them  from  afar, 
but  never  coming  within  reach  of  axe  or  club.  One  threw 
a  spear  indeed,  and  though  Umslopogaas  leaped  aside,  and 
as  it  sped  towards  him  smote  the  haft  in  two  with  the  blade 
of  Groan-Maker,  yet  its  head  flew  on,  wounding  Galazi  in 
the  flank.  Then  he  who  had  thrown  the  spear  turned  to 
fly,  or  his  hands  were  empty,  and  the  others  followed 


UMSLOPOGAAS  BECOMES  CHIEF 


139 


swiftly,  for  the  heart  was  out  of  them,  and  they  dared  to 
do  battle  with  these  two  no  more. 

Thus  the  fight  was  ended,  and  from  its  beginning  till  the 
finish  was  not  longer  than  the  time  in  which  men  might  count 
a  hundred  slowly. 

“It  seems  that  none  are  left  for  us  to  kill,  Galazi,”  said 
Umslopogaas,  laughing  aloud.  “Ah,  that  was  a  cunning 
fight !  Ho  !  you  sons  of  the  Unconquered,  who  run  so  fast, 
stay  your  feet.  I  give  you  peace ;  you  shall  live  to  sweep 
my  huts  and  to  plough  my  fields  with  the  other  women  of  my 
kraal.  How,  councillors,  the  fighting  is  done,  so  let  us  to 
the  chief’s  hut,  where  Masilo  waits  us,”  and  he  turned 
and  went  with  Galazi,  and  after  him  followed  all  the  people, 
wondering  and  in  silence. 

When  he  reached  the  hut  Umslopogaas  sat  himself  down 
in  the  place  where  Jikiza  had  sat  that  morning,  and  the 
maid  Zinita  came  to  him  with  a  wet  cloth  and  washed 
the  wound  that  the  spear  had  made.  He  thanked  her; 
then  she  would  have  washed  Galazi’s  wound  also,  and 
this  was  deeper,  but  Galazi  bade  her  to  let  him  be  roughly, 
as  he  would  have  no  woman  meddling  with  his  wounds. 
For  neither  then  nor  at  any  other  time  did  Galazi  turn  to 
women,  but  he  hated  Zinita  most  of  them  all. 

Then  Umslopogaas  spoke  to  Masilo  the  Pig,  who  sat 
before  him  with  a  frightened  face,  saying,  “It  seems,  O 
Masilo,  that  you  have  sought  this  maid  Zinita  in  marriage, 
and  against  her  will,  persecuting  her.  Uow  I  had  intended 
to  kill  you  as  an  offering  to  her  anger,  but  there  has  been 
enough  blood-letting  to-day.  Yet  you  shall  give  a  marriage 
gift  to  this  girl,  whom  I  myself  will  take  in  marriage :  you 
shall  give  a  hundred  head  of  cattle.  Then  get  you  gone 
from  among  the  People  of  the  Axe,  lest  a  worse  thing  befall 
you,  Masilo  the  Pig.” 

So  Masilo  rose  up  and  went,  and  his  face  was  green  with 
fear,  but  he  paid  the  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  fled 
towards  the  kraal  of  Chaka.  Zinita  watched  him  go,  and 
she  was  glad  of  it,  and  because  the  Slaughterer  had  named 
her  for  his  wife. 

“  I  am  well  rid  of  Masilo,”  she  said  aloud,  in  the  hearing 


140 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


of  Galazi,  “  but  I  had  been  better  pleased  to  see  him  dead 
before  me.” 

“  This  woman  has  a  fierce  heart,”  thought  Galazi,  “  and 
she  will  bring  no  good  to  Umslopogaas,  my  brother.” 

Now  the  councillors  and  the  captains  of  the  People  of 
the  Axe  konzaed  to  him  whom  they  named  the  Slaughterer, 
doing  homage  to  him  as  chief  and  holder  of  the  axe,  and 
also  they  did  homage  to  the  axe  itself.  So  Umslopogaas 
became  chief  over  this  people,  and  their  number  was  many, 
and  he  grew  great  and  fat  in  cattle  and  wives,  and  none 
dared  to  gainsay  him.  Prom  time  to  time,  indeed,  a  man 
ventured  to  stand  up  before  him  in  fight,  but  none  could 
conquer  him,  and  in  a  little  while  no  one  sought  to  face 
Groan-Maker  when  he  lifted  himself  to  peck. 

Galazi  also  was  great  among  the  people,  but  dwelt  with 
them  little,  for  best  he  loved  the  wild  woods  and  the 
mountain’s  breast,  and  often,  as  of  old,  he  swept  at  night 
across  the  forest  and  the  plains,  and  the  howling  of  the 
ghost-wolves  went  with  him. 

But  henceforth  Umslopogaas  the  Slaughterer  hunted  very 
rarely  with  the  wolves  at  night ;  he  slept  at  the  side  of 
Zinita,  and  she  loved  him  much  and  bore  him  children. 


CHAPTEE  XVIII. 

THE  CURSE  OF  BALEKA. 

Now,  my  father,  my  story  winds  back  again  as  a  river 
bends  towards  its  source,  and  I  tell  of  those  events  which 
happened  at  the  king’s  kraal  of  Gibamaxegu,  which  you 
white  people  name  Gibbeclack,  the  kraal  that  is  called 
“Pick-out-the-old-men,”  for  it  was  there  that  Chaka  mur¬ 
dered  all  the  aged  who  were  unfit  for  war. 

After  I,  Mopo,  had  stood  before  the  king,  and  he  had 
given  me  new  wives  and  fat  cattle  and  a  kraal  to  dwell  in, 
the  bones  of  Unandi,  the  Great  Mother  Elephant,  Mother  of 
the  Heavens,  were  gathered  together  from  the  ashes  of  my 


THE  CURSE  OF  BALEKA 


141 

huts,  and  because  all  could  not  be  found,  some  of  the 
bones  of  my  wives  were  collected  also  to  make  up  the 
number.  But  Chaka  never  knew  this.  When  all  were 
brought  together,  a  great  pit  was  dug  and  the  bones  were 
set  out  in  order  in  the  pit  and  buried ;  but  not  alone,  for 
round  them  were  placed  twelve  maidens  of  the  servants  of 
Unandi,  and  these  maidens  were  covered  over  with  the 
earth,  and  left  to  die  in  the  pit  by  the  bones  of  Unandi, 
their  mistress.  Moreover,  all  those  who  were  present  at 
the  burial  were  made  into  a  regiment  and  commanded  that 
they  should  dwell  by  the  grave  for  the  space  of  a  year.  They 
were  many,  my  father,  but  I  was  not  one  of  them.  Also 
Chaka  gave  orders  that  no  crops  should  be  sown  that 
year,  that  the  milk  of  the  cows  should  be  spilled  upon  the 
ground,  and  that  no  woman  should  give  birth  to  a  child  for 
a  full  year,  and  that  if  any  should  dare  to  bear  children, 
then  that  they  should  be  slain  and  their  husbands  with 
them.  And  for  a  space  of  some  months  these  things  were 
done,  my  father,  and  great  sorrow  came  upon  the  land. 

Then  for  a  little  while  there  was  quiet,  and  Chaka  went 
about  heavily,  and  he  wept  often,  and  we  who  waited  on 
him  wept  also  as  we  walked,  till  at  length  it  came  about 
by  use  that  we  could  weep  without  ceasing  for  many  hours. 
No  angry  woman  can  weep  as  we  wept  in  those  days;  it 
was  an  art,  my  father,  for  the  teaching  of  which  I  received 
many  cattle,  for  woe  to  him  who  had  no  tears  in  those  days. 
Then  it  was  also  that  Chaka  sent  out  the  captain  and  fifty 
soldiers  to  search  for  Umslopogaas,  for,  though  he  said 
nothing  more  to  me  of  this  matter,  he  did  not  believe  all 
the  tale  that  I  had  told  him  of  the  death  of  Umslopogaas 
in  the  jaws  of  a  lion  and  the  tale  of  those  who  were  with 
me.  How  that  company  fared  at  the  hands  of  Umslopogaas 
and  of  Galazi  the  Wolf,  and  at  the  fangs  of  the  people  black 
and  grey,  I  have  told  you,  my  father.  None  of  them  ever 
came  back  again.  In  after  days  it  was  reported  to  the  king 
that  these  soldiers  were  missing,  never  having  returned, 
but  he  only  laughed,  saying  that  the  lion  which  ate  Umslo- 
pogaas,  son  of  Mopo,  was  a  fierce  one,  and  had  eaten  them 
also. 


142 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


At  last  came  the  night  of  the  new  moon,  that  dreadful 
night  to  be  followed  by  a  more  dreadful  morrow.  I  sat  in 
the  kraal  of  Chaka,  and  he  put  his  arm  about  my  neck  and 
groaned  and  wept  for  his  mother,  whom  he  had  murdered, 
and  I  groaned  also,  but  I  did  not  weep,  because  it  was  dark, 
and  on  the  morrow  I  must  weep  much  in  the  sight  of  the 
king  and  men.  Therefore,  I  spared  my  tears,  lest  they 
should  fail  me  in  my  need. 

All  night  long  the  people  drew  on  from  every  side 
towards  the  kraal,  and,  as  they  came  in  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands,  they  filled  the  night  with  their  cries,  till  it 
seemed  as  though  the  whole  world  were  mourning,  and 
loudly.  None  might  cease  their  crying,  and  none  dared 
to  drink  so  much  as  a  cup  of  water.  The  daylight  came, 
and  Chaka  rose,  saying,  “Come,  let  us  go  forth,  Mopo, 
and  look  on  those  who  mourn  with  us.”  So  we  went  out, 
and  after  us  came  men  armed  with  clubs  to  do  the  bidding 
of  the  king. 

Outside  the  kraal  the  people  were  gathered,  and  their 
number  was  countless  as  the  leaves  upon  the  trees.  On 
every  side  the  land  was  black  with  them,  as  at  times  the 
veldt  is  black  with  game.  When  they  saw  the  king  they 
ceased  from  their  howling  and  sang  the  war-song,  then  once 
again  they  howled,  and  Chaka  walked  among  them  weep¬ 
ing.  Now,  my  father,  the  sight  became  dreadful,  for,  as 
the  sun  rose  higher  the  day  grew  hot,  and  utter  weariness 
came  upon  the  people,  who  were  packed  together  like  herds 
of  cattle,  and,  though  oxen  slain  in  sacrifice  lay  around, 
they  might  neither  eat  nor  drink.  Some  fell  to  the  ground 
and  were  trampled  to  death,  others  took  much  snuff  to 
make  them  weep,  others  stained  their  eyes  with  saliva, 
others  walked  to  and  fro,  their  tongues  hanging  from  their 
jaws,  while  groans  broke  from  their  parched  throats. 

“Now,  Mopo,  we  shall  learn  who  are  the  wizards  that 
have  brought  these  ills  upon  us,”  said  the  king,  “  and  who 
are  true-hearted  men.” 

As  he  spoke  we  came  upon  a  man,  a  chief  of  renown. 
He  was  named  Zwaumbana,  chief  of  the  Amabovus,  and  with 
him  were  his  wives  and  followers.  This  man  could  weep 


THE  CURSE  OF  BALEKA 


143 


no  more ;  he  gasped  with  thirst  and  heat.  The  king  looked 
at  him. 

“  See,  Mopo,”  he  said,  “  see  that  brute  who  has  no  tears 
for  my  mother  who  is  dead !  Oh,  the  monster  without  a 
heart !  Shall  such  as  he  live  to  look  upon  the  sun,  while 
I  and  thou  must  weep,  Mopo  ?  Never  !  never  !  Take  him 
away,  and  all  those  who  are  with  him !  Take  them  away, 
the  people  without  hearts,  who  do  not  weep  because  my 
mother  is  dead  by  witchcraft !  ” 

And  Chaka  walked  on  weeping,  and  I  followed  also 
weeping,  but  the  chief  Zwaumbana  and  those  with  him 
were  all  slain  by  those  who  do  the  bidding  of  the  king,  and 
the  slayers  also  must  weep  as  they  slew.  Presently  we 
came  upon  another  man,  who,  seeing  the  king,  took  snuff 
secretly  to  bring  tears  to  his  eyes.  But  the  glance  of 
Chaka  was  quick,  and  he  noted  it. 

“Look  at  him,  Mopo,”  he  said,  “look  at  the  wizard  who 
has  no  tears,  though  my  mother  is  dead  by  witchcraft. 
See,  he  takes  snuff  to  bring  tears  to  his  eyes  that  are  dry 
with  wickedness.  Take  him  away,  the  heartless  brute! 
Oh,  take  him  away  !  ” 

So  this  one  also  was  killed,  and  these  were  but  the  first 
of  thousands,  for  presently  Chaka  grew  mad  with  wicked¬ 
ness,  with  fury,  and  with  the  lust  of  blood.  He  walked  to 
and  fro  weeping,  going  now  and  again  into  his  hut  to  drink 
beer,  and  I  with  him,  for  he  said  that  we  who  sorrowed  must 
have  food.  And  ever  as  he  walked  he  would  wave  his  arm 
or  his  assegai,  saying,  “Take  them  away,  the  heartless 
brutes,  who  do  not  weep  because  my  mother  is  dead,”  and 
those  who  chanced  to  stand  before  his  arm  were  killed,  till 
at  length  the  slayers  could  slay  no  more,  and  themselves 
were  slain,  because  their  strength  had  failed  them,  and  they 
had  no  more  tears.  And  I  also,  I  must  slay,  lest  if  I  slew 
not  I  should  myself  be  slain. 

And  now,  at  length,  the  people  also  went  mad  with  their 
thirst  and  the  fury  of  their  fear.  They  fell  upon  each 
other,  killing  each  other ;  every  man  who  had  a  foe  sought 
him  out  and  killed  him.  None  were  spared,  the  place  was 
but  a  shambles ;  there  on  that  day  died  full  seven  thousand 


144 


HAD  A  THE  LILY 


men,  and  still  Chaka  walked  weeping  among  them,  saying, 
“  Take  them  away,  the  heartless  brutes,  take  them  away  !  ” 
Yet,  my  father,  there  was  cunning  in  his  cruelty,  for  though 
he  destroyed  many  for  sport  alone,  also  he  slew  on  this  day 
all  those  whom  he  hated  or  whom  he  feared. 

At  length  the  night  came  down,  the  sun  sank  red  that 
day,  all  the  sky  was  like  blood,  and  blood  was  all  the  earth 
beneath.  Then  the  killing  ceased,  because  none  had  now 
the  strength  to  kill,  and  the  people  lay  panting  in  heaps 
upon  the  ground,  the  living  and  the  dead  together.  I  looked 
at  them,  and  saw  that  if  they  were  not  allowed  to  eat  and 
drink,  before  day  dawned  again  the  most  of  them  would  be 
dead,  and  I  spoke  to  the  king,  for  I  cared  little  in  that  hour 
if  I  lived  or  died ;  even  my  hope  of  vengeance  was  forgotten 
in  the  sickness  of  my  heart. 

“  A  mourning  indeed,  0  King,”  I  said,  “a  merry  mourn¬ 
ing  for  true-hearted  men,  but  for  wizards  a  mourning  such 
as  they  do  not  love.  I  think  that  thy  sorrows  are  avenged, 
0  King,  thy  sorrows  and  mine  also.” 

“Not  so,  Mopo,”  answered  the  king,  “this  is  but  the 
beginning;  our  mourning  was  merry  to-day,  it  shall  be 
merrier  to-morrow.” 

“  To-morrow,  0  King,  few  -will  be  left  to  mourn ;  for 
the  land  will  be  swept  of  men.” 

“Why,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama ?  But  a  few  have 
perished  of  all  the  thousands  who  are  gathered  together. 
Number  the  people  and  they  will  not  be  missed.” 

“  But  a  few  have  died  beneath  the  assegai  and  the  kerrie, 
0  King.  Yet  hunger  and  thirst  shall  finish  the  spear’s  work. 
The  people  have  neither  eaten  nor  drunk  for  a  day  and  a 
night,  and  for  a  day  and  a  night  they  have  wailed  and 
moaned.  Look  without,  Black  One,  there  they  lie  in  heaps 
with  the  dead.  By  to-morrow’s  light  they  also  will  be  dead 
or  dying.” 

Now,  Chaka  thought  awhile  and  he  saw  that  the  work 
would  go  too  far,  leaving  him  but  a  small  people  over 
whom  to  rule. 

“It  is  hard,  Mopo,”  he  said,  “that  thou  and  T  must 
mourn  alone  over  our  woes  while  these  dogs  feast  and  make 


THE  CURSE  OF  BALERS 


145 


merry.  Yet,  because  of  the  gentleness  of  my  heart,  I  will 
deal  gently  with  them.  Go  out,  son  of  Makedama,  and 
bid  my  children  eat  and  drink  if  they  have  the  heart,  for 
this  mourning  is  ended.  Scarcely  will  Unandi,  my  mother, 
sleep  well,  seeing  that  so  little  blood  has  been  shed  upon 
her  grave — surely  her  spirit  will  haunt  my  dreams.  Yet, 
because  of  the  gentleness  of  my  heart,  I  declare  this  mourn¬ 
ing  ended.  Let  my  children  eat  and  drink,  if,  indeed,  they 
have  the  heart.’’ 

“  Happy  are  the  people  over  whom  such  a  king  is  set,”  I 
said  in  answer.  Then  I  went  out  and  told  the  words  of 
Chaka  to  the  chiefs  and  captains,  and  those  of  them  who 
had  the  voice  left  to  them  praised  the  goodness  of  the  king. 
But  the  most  gave  over  sucking  the  dew  from  their  sticks, 
and  rushed  to  the  water  like  cattle  that  have  wandered  five 
days  in  the  desert,  and  drank  their  fill.  Some  of  them  were 
trampled  to  death  in  the  water. 

Afterwards  I  slept  as  I  might  best ;  it  was  not  well,  my 
father,  for  I  knew  that  Chaka  was  not  yet  glutted  with 
slaughter. 

On  the  morrow  many  of  the  people  went  back  to  their 
homes,  having  sought  leave  from  the  king,  others  drew  away 
the  dead  to  the  place  of  bones,  and  yet  others  were  sent  out 
in  impis  to  kill  such  as  had  not  come  to  the  mourning  of 
the  king.  When  midday  was  past,  Chaka  said  that  he  would 
walk,  and  ordered  me  and  other  of  his  indunas  and  ser¬ 
vants  to  walk  with  him.  We  went  on  in  silence,  the  king 
leaning  on  my  shoulder  as  on  a  stick.  “  What  of  thy  peo¬ 
ple,  Mopo,”  he  said  at  length,  “  what  of  the  Langeni 
tribe  ?  Were  they  at  my  mourning  ?  I  did  not  see  them.” 

Then  I  answered  that  I  did  not  know,  they  had  been  sum¬ 
moned,  but  the  way  was  long  and  the  time  short  for  so  many 
to  march  so  far. 

“  Dogs  should  run  swiftly  when  their  master  calls,  Mopo, 
my  servant,”  said  Chaka,  and  the  dreadful  light  came 
into  his  eyes  that  never  shone  in  the  eyes  of  any  other 
man.  Then  I  grew  sick  at  heart,  my  father — ay,  though 
I  loved  my  people  little,  and  they  had  driven  me  away, 
I  grew  sick  at  heart.  Now  we  had  come  to  a  spot  where 

L 


146 


NAD  A  '1  HE  LILY 


there  is  a  great  rift  of  black  rock,  and  the  name  of  that  rift 
is  U’ Donga-1  u-ka-Tatiy  ana.  On  either  side  of  this  donga 
the  ground  slopes  steeply  down  towards  its  yawning  lips, 
and  from  its  end  a  man  may  see  the  open  country.  Here 
Chaka  sat  down  at  the  end  of  the  rift,  pondering.  Pres¬ 
ently  he  looked  up  and  saw  avast  multitude  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  who  wound  like  a  snake  across  the  plain  be¬ 
neath  towards  the  kraal  Gibamaxegu. 

“I  think,  Mopo,”  said  the  king,  “that  by  the  colour 
of  their  shields,  yonder  should  be  the  Langeni  tribe — 
thine  own  people,  Mopo.” 

“  It  is  my  people,  0  King,”  I  answered. 

Then  Chaka  sent  messengers,  running  swiftly,  and  bade 
them  summon  the  Langeni  people  to  him  where  he  sat. 
Other  messengers  he  sent  also  to  the  kraal,  whispering  in 
their  ears,  but  what  he  said  I  did  not  know  then. 

Now,  for  a  while,  Chaka  watched  the  long  black  snake  of 
men  winding  towards  him  across  the  plain  till  the  messen¬ 
gers  met  them  and  the  snake  began  to  climb  the  slope  of 
the  hill. 

“  How  many  are  these  people  of  thine,  Mopo  ?  ”  asked 
the  king. 

“  I  know  not,  0  Elephant,”  I  answered,  “  who  have  not 
seen  them  for  many  years.  Perhaps  they  number  three 
full  regiments.” 

“  Nay,  more,”  said  the  king ;  “  what  thinkest  thou, 
Mopo,  would  this  people  of  thine  fill  the  rift  behind  us  ?  ” 
and  he  nodded  at  the  gulf  of  stone. 

Now,  my  father,  I  trembled  in  all  my  flesh,  seeing  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  Chaka;  but  I  could  find  no  words  to  say,  for  my 
tongue  clave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth. 

“  The  people  are  many,”  said  Chaka,  “yet,  Mopo,  I  bet 
thee  fifty  head  of  cattle  that  they  will  not  fill  the  donga.” 

“The  king  is  pleased  to  jest,”  I  said. 

“  Yea,  Mopo,  I  jest;  yet  as  a  jest  take  thou  the  bet.” 

“As  the  king  wills,”  I  murmured — who  could  not  refuse. 
Now  the  people  of  my  tribe  drew  near:  at  their  head  was 
an  old  man,  with  white  hair  and  beard,  and,  looking  at  him, 
1  knew  him  for  my  father,  Makedama.  When  he  came 


THE  CURSE  OF  BALEKA 


147 


within  earshot  of  the  king,  he  gave  him  the  royal  salute 
of  Bayete,  and  fell  upon  his  hands  and  knees,  crawling 
towards  him,  and  konsaed  to  the  king,  praising  him  as  he 
came.  All  the  thousands  of  the  people  also  fell  upon  their 
hands  and  knees,  and  praised  the  king  aloud,  and  the  sound 
of  their  praising  was  like  the  sound  of  a  great  thunder. 

At  length  Makedama,  my  father,  writhing  on  his  breast 
like  a  snake,  lay  before  the  majesty  of  the  king.  Cliaka 
bade  him  rise,  and  greeted  him  kindly ;  but  all  the  thou¬ 
sands  of  the  people  yet  lay  upon  their  breasts  beating  the 
dust  with  their  heads. 

“  Rise,  Makedama,  my  child,  father  of  the  people  of  the 
Langeni,”  said  Chaka,  “  and  tell  me  why  art  thou  late  in 
coming  to  my  mourning  ?  ” 

“The  way  was  far,  0  King,”  answered  Makedama,  my 
father,  who  did  not  know  me.  “The  way  was  far,  and 
the  time  short.  Moreover,  the  women  and  the  children 
grew  weary  and  footsore,  and  they  are  weary  in  this 
hour.” 

“  Speak  not  of  it,  Makedama,  my  child,”  said  the  king. 
“  Surely  thy  heart  mourned  and  that  of  thy  people,  and  soon 
they  shall  rest  from  their  weariness.  Say,  are  they  here 
every  one  ?  ” 

“  Every  one,  0  Elephant ! — none  are  wanting.  My  kraals 
are  desolate,  the  cattle  wander  untended  on  the  hills,  birds 
pick  at  the  unguarded  crops.” 

“  It  is  well,  Makedama,  thou  faithful  servant !  Yet  thou 
wouldst  mourn  with  me  an  hour — is  it  not  so?  Now, 
hearken !  Bid  thy  people  pass  to  the  right  and  to  the  left 
of  me,  and  stand  in  all  their  numbers  upon  the  slopes  of 
the  grass  that  run  down  to  the  lips  of  the  rift.” 

So  Makedama,  my  father,  bade  the  people  do  the  bidding 
of  the  king,  for  neither  he  nor  the  indunas  saw  his  purpose, 
but  I,  who  knew  his  wicked  heart,  I  saw  it.  Then  the  peo¬ 
ple  filed  past  to  the  right  and  to  the  left  by  hundreds  and 
by  thousands,  and  presently  the  grass  of  the  slopes  could  be 
seen  no  more,  because  of  their  number.  When  all  had 
passed,  Chaka  spoke  again  to  Makedama,  my  father,  bidding 
him  climb  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  donga,  and  thence  lift 

^  l  2 


148 


NAD  A  THE  L/LY 


up  his  voice  in  mourning.  The  old  man  obeyed  the  king. 
Slowly,  and  with  much  pain,  he  clambered  to  the  bottom  of 
the  rift  and  stood  there.  It  was  so  deep  and  narrow  that 
the  light  scarcely  seemed  to  reach  to  where  he  stood,  for  I 
could  only  see  the  white  of  his  hair  gleaming  far  down  in 
the  shadows. 

Then,  standing  far  beneath,  he  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  it 
reached  the  thousands  of  those  who  clustered  upon  the 
slopes.  It  seemed  still  and  small,  yet  it  came  to  them 
faintly  like  the  voice  of  one  speaking  from  a  mountain-top 
in  a  time  of  snow  : — 

“  Mourn,  children  of  Makedama  !  ” 

And  all  the  thousands  of  the  people — men,  women,  and 
children — echoed  his  words  in  a  thunder  of  sound,  cry¬ 
ing  : — 

“  Mourn,  children  of  Makedama!  ” 

Again  he  cried: — 

“  Mourn,  people  of  the  Langeni,  mourn  with  the  whole 
world !” 

And  the  thousands  answered : — 

“  Mourn,  people  of  the  Langeni,  mourn  with  the  whole 
icorld !  ” 

A  third  time  came  his  voice  : — 

“  Mourn,  children  of  Makedama,  mourn,  people  of  the  Lan¬ 
geni,  mourn  with  the  whole  icorld ! 

“ Howl,  ye  warriors;  weep,  ye  women;  heat  your  breasts, 
ye  maidens;  sob,  ye  little  children  ! 

“  Drink  of  the  water  of  tears,  cover  yourselves  with  the  dust 
of  affliction. 

“Mourn,  0  tribe  of  the  Langeni,  because  the  Mother  of  the 
Heavens  is  no  more. 

“  Mourn,  children  of  Makedama,  because  the  Spirit  of  Fruit¬ 
fulness  is  no  more. 

“  Mourn,  0  ye  people ,  because  the  Lion  of  the  Zulu  is  left 
desolate. 

“Let  your  tears  fall  as  the  rain  falls,  let  your  cries  be  as  the 
cries  of  women  who  bring  forth. 

“For  sorrow  is  fallen  like  the  rain,  the  world  has  conceived 
and  brought  forth  death. 


THE  CURSE  OF  BALEKA 


149 


“  Great  darkness  is  upon  us,  darkness  and  the  sliadoio  of 
death. 

“  The  Lion  of  the  Zulu  wanders  and  wanders  in  desolation, 
because  the  Mother  of  the  Heavens  is  no  more. 

“  Who  shall  bring  him  comfort ?  There  is  comfort  in  the 
trying  of  his  children. 

“Mourn,  people  of  the  Langeni ;  let  the  voice  of  your 
mourning  beat  against  the  skies  and  rend  them. 

“Ou-ai!  Ou-ai !  Ou-ai !” 

Thus  sang  the  old  man,  my  father  Makedama,  far  down 
in  the  deeps  of  the  cleft.  He  sang  it  in  a  still,  small  voice, 
but,  line  after  line,  his  song  was  caught  up  by  the  thou¬ 
sands  who  stood  on  the  slopes  above,  and  thundered  to 
the  heavens  till  the  mountains  shook  with  its  sound. 
Moreover,  the  noise  of  their  crying  opened  the  bosom  of  a 
heavy  rain-cloud  that  had  gathered  as  they  mourned,  and 
the  rain  fell  in  great  slow  drops,  as  though  the  sky  also 
wept,  and  with  the  rain  came  lightning  and  the  roll  of 
thunder. 

Chaka  listened,  and  large  tears  coursed  down  his  cheeks, 
whose  heart  was  easily  stirred  by  the  sound  of  song. 
Now  the  rain  hissed  fiercely,  making  as  it  were  a  curtain 
about  the  thousands  of  the  people ;  but  still  their  cry  went 
up  through  the  rain,  and  the  roll  of  the  thunder  was  lost  in 
it.  Presently  there  came  a  hush,  and  I  looked  to  the  right. 
There,  above  the  heads  of  the  people,  coming  over  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  were  the  plumes  of  warriors,  and  in  their  hands 
gleamed  a  hedge  of  spears.  I  looked  to  the  left ;  there 
also  I  saw  the  plumes  of  warriors  dimly  through  the  falling 
rain,  and  in  their  hands  a  hedge  of  spears.  I  looked  before 
me,  towards  the  end  of  the  cleft ;  there  also  loomed  the 
plumes  of  warriors,  and  in  their  hands  was  a  hedge  of  spears. 

Then  from  all  the  people  there  arose  another  cry,  a  cry  of 
terror  and  of  agony. 

“  Ah  !  now  they  mourn  indeed,  Mopo,”  said  Chaka  in 
my  ear ;  “  now  thy  people  mourn  from  the  heart  and  not 
with  the  lips  alone.” 

As  he  spoke  the  multitudes  of  the  people  on  either  side 


i  :o 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


of  the  rift  surged  forward  like  a  wave,  surged  back  again, 
once  more  surged  forward,  then,  with  a  dreadful  crying, 
driven  on  by  the  merciless  spears  of  the  soldiers,  they 
began  to  fall  in  a  torrent  of  men,  women,  and  children,  far 
into  the  black  depths  below. 

***** 

My  father,  forgive  me  the  tears  that  fall  from  these  blind 
eyes  of  mine;  I  am  very  aged,  I  am  but  as  a  little  child, 
and  as  a  little  child  I  weep.  I  cannot  tell  it.  At  last  it 
was  done,  and  all  grew  still. 

***** 

Thus  was  Makedama  buried  beneath  the  bodies  of  his 
people ;  thus  was  ended  the  tribe  of  the  Langeni ;  as  my 
mother  had  dreamed,  so  it  came  about ;  and  thus  did  Cliaka 
take  vengeance  for  that  cup  of  milk  which  was  refused 
to  him  many  a  year  before. 

“  Thou  hast  not  won  thy  bet,  Mopo,”  said  the  king  pres- 
ently.  “  See  here  is  a  little  space  where  one  more  may 
find  room  to  sleep.  Full  to  the  brim  is  this  corn-chamber 
with  the  ears  of  death,  in  which  no  living  grain  is  left. 
Yet  there  is  one  little  space,  and  is  there  not  one  to  fill  it  ? 
Are  all  the  tribe  of  the  Langeni  dead  indeed  ?  ” 

“  There  is  one,  0  King !  ”  I  answered.  “  I  am  of  the  tribe 
of  the  Langeni,  let  my  carcase  fill  the  place/’ 

“Nay,  Mopo,  nay!  Who  then  should  take  the  bet? 
Moreover,  I  slay  thee  not,  for  it  is  against  my  oath.  Also, 
do  we  not  mourn  together,  thou  and  I  ?  ” 

“  There  is  no  other  left  living  of  the  tribe  of  the  Langeni, 
0  King  !  The  bet  is  lost ;  it  shall  be  paid.”  . 

“  I  think  that  there  is  another,”  said  Chaka.  “  There  is  a 
sister  to  thee  and  me,  Mopo.  Ah,  see,  she  comes  !  ” 

I  looked  up,  my  father,  and  I  saw  this :  I  saw  Baleka,  my 
sister,  walking  towards  us,  and  on  her  shoulders  was  a 
kaross  of  wild-cat  skins,  and  behind  her  were  two  soldiers. 
She  walked  proudly,  holding  her  head  high,  and  her  step  was 
like  the  step  of  a  queen.  Now  she  saw  the  sight  of  death, 
for  the  dead  lay  before  her  like  black  water  in  a  sunless 


THE  CURSE  OF  BALEKA 


I5i 

pool.  A  moment  she  stood  shivering,  having  guessed  all, 
then  walked  on  and  stood  before  Chaka. 

“  What  is  thy  will  with  me,  0  King  ?  ”  she  said. 

“  Thou  art  come  in  a  good  hour,  sister, : ”  said  Chaka, 
turning  his  eyes  from  hers.  “  It  is  thus :  Mopo,  my  ser¬ 
vant  and  thy  brother,  made  a  bet  with  me,  a  bet  of  cat¬ 
tle.  It  was  a  little  matter  that  we  wagered  on — as  to 
whether  the  people  of  the  Langeni  tribe — thine  own  tribe, 
Baleka,  my  sister — would  fill  yonder  place,  U’Donga-lu-ka- 
Tatiyana.  When  they  heard  of  the  bet,  my  sister,  the 
people  of  the  Langeni  hurled  themselves  into  the  rift  by 
thousands,  being  eager  to  put  the  matter  to  the  proof. 
And  now  it  seems  that  thy  brother  has  lost  the  bet,  for 
there  is  yet  place  for  one  yonder  ere  the  donga  is  full. 
Then,  my  sister,  thy  brother  Mopo  brought  it  to  my  mind 
that  there  was  still  one  of  the  Langeni  tribe  left  upon 
the  earth,  who,  should  she  sleep  in  that  place,  would  turn 
the  bet  in  his  favour,  and  prayed  me  to  send  for  her.  So, 
my  sister,  as  I  would  not  take  that  which  I  have  not  won, 
I  have  done  so,  and  now  do  thou  go  apart  and  talk  with 
Mopo,  thy  brother,  alone  upon  this  matter,  as  once  before 
thou  didst  talk  when  a  child  teas  bom  to  thee,  my  sister  !  ” 

Now  Baleka  took  no  heed  of  the  words  of  Chaka  which 
he  spoke  of  me,  for  she  knew  his  meaning  well.  Only 
she  looked  him  in  the  eyes  and  said : — 

“Ill  shalt  thou  sleep  from  this  night  forth,  Chaka,  till 
thou  comest  to  a  land  where  no  sleep  is.  I  have  spoken. ” 

Chaka  saw  and  heard,  and  of  a  sudden  he  quailed,  grow¬ 
ing  afraid  in  his  heart,  and  turned  his  head  away. 

“  Mopo,  my  brother,”  said  Baleka,  “  let  us  speak  together 
for  the  last  time ;  it  is  the  king’s  word.” 

So  I  drew  apart  with  Baleka,  my  sister,  and  a  spear  was 
in  my  hand.  We  stood  together  alone  by  the  people  of  the 
dead,  and  Baleka  threw  the  corner  of  the  kaross  about  her 
brows  and  spoke  to  me  swiftly  from  beneath  its  shadow. 

“  What  did  I  say  to  you  a  while  ago,  Mopo  ?  It  has 
come  to  pass.  Swear  to  me  that  you  will  live  on  and  that 
this  same  hand  of  yours  shall  take  vengeance  for  me.” 

“  I  swear  it,  my  sister,  ” 


152 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  Swear  to  me  that  when  the  vengeance  is  done  you  will 
seek  out  my  son  Umslopogaas  if  he  still  lives,  and  bless 
him  in  my  name.” 

“  I  swear  it,  my  sister.” 

“  Fare  you  well,  Mopo  !  We  have  always  loved  each  other 
much,  and  now  all  fades,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  once  more 
we  are  little  children  playing  about  the  kraals  of  the  Lan- 
geni.  So  may  we  play  again  in  another  land  !  Now,  Mopo  ” 
— and  she  looked  at  me  steadily,  and  with  great  eyes — 
“  I  am  weary.  I  would  join  the  spirits  of  my  people.  I  hear 
them  calling  in  my  ears.  It  is  finished.” 

***** 

For  the  rest,  I  will  not  tell  it  to  you,  my  father. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

MASILO  COMES  TO  THE  KRAAL  DUGUZA. 

•  That  night  the  curse  of  Baleka  fell  upon  Chaka,  and  he 
slept  ill.  So  ill  did  he  sleep  that  he  summoned  me  to 
him,  bidding  me  walk  abroad  with  him.  I  went,  and  we 
walked  alone  and  in  silence,  Chaka  leading  the  way  and 
I  following  after  him.  Now  I  saw  that  his  feet  led  him 
towards  the  Donga-lu-ka-Tatiyana,  that  place  where  all  my 
people  lay  dead,  and  with  them  Baleka,  my  sister.  We 
climbed  the  slope  of  the  hill  slowly,  and  came  to  the  mouth 
of  the  cleft,  to  that  same  spot  where  Chaka  had  stood  when 
the  people  fell  over  the  lips  of  the  rock  like  water  over  a 
waterfall.  Then  there  had  been  noise  and  crying,  now 
there  was  silence,  for  the  night  was  very  still.  The  moon 
was  full  also,  and  lighted  up  the  dead  who  lay  near  to  us, 
so  that  I  could  see  them  all ;  yes,  I  could  see  even  the  face 
of  Baleka,  my  sister — they  had  thrown  her  into  the  midst  of 
the  dead.  Never  had  it  looked  so  beautiful  as  in  this  hour, 
and  yet  as  I  gazed  I  grew  afraid.  Only  the  far  end  of  the 
donga  was  hid  in  shadow. 


. 


‘  0  people  of  the  Langeni  tribe 


I  am  avenged  upon  you.’ 


MASILO  COMES  TO  THE  KRAAL  DUGUZA  153 


“Thou  wouldst  not  have  won  thy  bet  now,  Mopo,  my 
servant,”  said  Cliaka.  “  See,  they  have  sunk  together  !  The 
donga  is  not  full  by  the  length  of  a  stabbing-spear.” 

I  did  not  answer,  but  at  the  sound  of  the  king’s  voice 
jackals  stirred  and  slunk  away. 

Presently  he  spoke  again,  laughing  loudly  as  he  spoke : 
“  Thou  shouldst  sleep  well  this  night,  my  mother,  for  I  have 
sent  many  to  hush  thee  to  thy  rest.  Ah,  people  of  the 
Langeni  tribe,  you  forgot,  but  I  remembered  !  You  forgot 
how  a  woman  and  a  boy  came  to  you  seeking  food  and 
shelter,  and  you  would  give  them  none — no,  not  a  gourd 
of  milk.  What  did  I  promise  you  on  that  day,  people  of 
the  Langeni  tribe  ?  Did  I  not  promise  you  that  for  every 
drop  the  gourd  I  craved  would  hold  I  would  take  the  life 
of  a  man  ?  And  have  I  not  kept  my  promise  ?  Do  not 
men  lie  here  more  in  number  than  the  drops  of  water  in  a 
gourd,  and  with  them  women  and  children  countless  as  the 
leaves  ?  0  people  of  the  Langeni  tribe,  who  refused  me 

milk  when  I  was  little,  having  grown  great,  I  am  avenged 
upon  you !  Having  grown  great !  Ah !  who  is  there  so 
great  as  I  ?  The  earth  shakes  beneath  my  feet ;  when  I 
speak  the  people  tremble,  when  I  frown  they  die — they  die 
in  thousands.  I  have  grown  great,  and  great  I  shall  remain! 
The  land  is  mine,  far  as  the  feet  of  man  can  travel  the  land 
is  mine,  and  mine  are  those  who  dwell  in  it.  And  I  shall 
grow  greater  yet — greater,  ever  greater.  Is  it  thy  face, 
Baleka,  that  stares  upon  me  from  among  the  faces  of  the 
thousands  whom  I  have  slain  ?  Thou  didst  promise  me  that 
I  should  sleep  ill  henceforth.  Baleka,  I  fear  thee  not — at 
the  least,  thou  sleepest  sound.  Tell  me,  Baleka — rise  from 
thy  sleep  and  tell  me  whom  there  is  that  I  should  fear! 
- and  suddenly  he  ceased  the  ravings  of  his  pride. 

Now,  my  father,  while  Chaka  the  king  spoke  thus,  it 
came  into  my  mind  to  make  an  end  of  things  and  kill  him, 
for  my  heart  was  mad  with  rage  and  the  thirst  of  vengeance. 
Already  I  stood  behind  him,  already  the  stick  in  my  hand 
was  lifted  to  strike  out  his  brains,  when  I  stopped  also,  for 
I  saw  something.  There,  in  the  midst  of  the  dead,  I  saw  an 
arm  stir.  It  stirred,  it  lifted  itself,  it  beckoned  towards 


154 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


the  shadow  which  hid  the  head  of  the  cleft  and  the  piled- 
np  corpses  that  lay  there,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  arm 
was  the  arm  of  Baleka.  Perchance  it  was  not  her  arm, 
perchance  it  was  but  the  arm  of  one  who  yet  lived  among  the 
thousands  of  the  dead,  say  you,  my  father !  At  the  least, 
the  arm  rose  at  her  side,  and  was  ringed  with  such  bracelets 
as  Baleka  wore,  and  it  beckoned  from  her  side,  though  her 
cold  face  changed  not  at  all.  Thrice  the  arm  rose,  thrice 
it  stood  awhile  in  air,  thrice  it  beckoned  with  crooked 
linger,  as  though  it  summoned  something  from  the  depths 
of  the  shadow,  and  from  the  multitudes  of  the  dead.  Then 
it  fell  down,  and  in  the  utter  silence  I  heard  its  fall  and  a 
clank  of  the  brazen  bracelets.  And  as  it  fell  there  rose 
from  the  shadow  a  sound  of  singing,  of  singing  wild  and 
sweet,  such  as  I  had  never  heard.  The  words  of  that  song 
came  to  me  then,  my  father ;  but  afterwards  they  passed 
from  me,  and  I  remember  them  no  more.  Only  I  know  this, 
that  the  song  was  of  the  making  of  Things,  and  of  the  begin¬ 
ning  and  the  end  of  Peoples.  It  told  of  how  the  black  folk 
grew,  and  of  how  the  white  folk  should  eat  them  up,  and 
wherefore  they  were  and  wherefore  they  should  cease  to  be. 
It  told  of  Evil  and  of  Good,  of  Woman  and  of  Man,  and  of 
how  these  war  against  each  other,  and  why  it  is  that  they 
war,  and  what  are  the  ends  of  the  struggle.  It  told  also  of 
the  people  of  the  Zulu,  and  it  spoke  of  a  place  of  a  Little 
Hand  where  they  should  conquer,  and  of  a  place  where  a 
White  Hand  should  prevail  against  them,  and  how  they 
shall  melt  away  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  White  Hand 
and  be  forgotten,  passing  to  a  land  where  things  do  not  die, 
but  live  on  forever,  the  Good  with  the  Good,  the  Evil  with 
the  Evil.  It  told  of  Life  and  of  Death,  of  Joy  and  of  Sor¬ 
row,  of  Time  and  of  that  sea  in  which  Time  is  but  a  floating 
leaf,  and  of  why  all  these  things  are.  Many  names  also 
came  into  the  song,  and  I  knew  but  a  few  of  them,  yet  my 
own  was  there,  and  the  name  of  Baleka  and  the  name  of 
Umslopogaas,  and  the  name  of  Chaka  the  Lion.  But  a 
little  while  did  the  voice  sing,  yet  all  this  was  in  the  song — 
ay,  and  much  more;  but  the  meaning  of  the  song  is  gone 
fronr  me,  thopgli  I  knew  it  once,  and  shall  know  it  again. 


MAS/LO  COMES  TO  THE  KRAAL  DUGUZA 


155 

when  all  is  clone.  The  voice  in  the  shadow  sang  on  till  the 
whole  place  was  full  of  the  sound  of  its  singing,  and  even  the 
dead  seemed  to  listen.  Chaka  heard  it  and  shook  with  fear, 
but  his  ears  were  deaf  to  its  burden,  though  mine  were  open. 

The  voice  came  nearer,  and  now  in  the  shadow  there 
was  a  faint  glow  of  light,  like  the  glow  that  gathers  on  the 
six-days’  dead.  Slowly  it  drew  nearer,  through  the  shadow, 
and  as  it  came  I  saw  that  the  shape  of  the  light  was  the 
shape  of  a  woman.  ISTovv  I  could  see  it  well,  and  I  knew 
the  face  of  glory.  My  father,  it  wras  the  face  of  the  Inko- 
sazana-y-Zulu,  the  Queen  of  Heaven !  She  came  towards 
us  very  slowly,  gliding  down  the  gulf  that  was  full  of  dead, 
and  the  path  she  trod  was  paved  with  the  dead ;  and  as 
she  came  it  seemed  to  me  that  shadows  rose  from  the 
dead,  following  her,  the  Queen  of  the  Dead — thousands 
upon  thousands  of  them.  And,  ah  !  her  glory,  my  father 
— the  glory  of  her  hair  of  molten  gold — of  her  eyes,  that 
were  as  the  noonday  sky — the  flash  of  her  arms  and  breast, 
that  were  like  the  driven  snow,  when  it  glows  in  the  sun¬ 
set.  Her  beauty  was  awful  to  look  on,  but  I  am  glad  to 
have  lived  to  see  it  as  it  shone  and  changed  in  the  shifting 
robe  of  light  which  is  her  garment. 

Now  she  drew  near  to  us,  and  Chaka  sank  upon  the 
earth,  huddled  up  in  fear,  hiding  his  face  in  his  hands ;  but 
I  was  not  afraid,  my  father — only  the  wdcked  need  fear  to 
look  on  the  Queen  of  Heaven.  Nay,  I  was  not  afraid :  I 
stood  upright  and  gazed  upon  her  glory  face  to  face.  I11 
her  hand  she  held  a  little  spear  hafted  with  the  royal  wood  : 
it  was  the  shadow  of  the  spear  that  Chaka  held  in  his  hand, 
the  same  with  which  he  had  slain  his  mother  and  wherewith 
he  should  himself  be  slain.  Now  she  ceased  her  singing, 
and  stood  before  the  crouching  king  and  before  me,  who  was 
behind  the  king,  so  that  the  light  of  her  glory  shone  upon 
us.  She  lifted  the  little  spear,  and  with  it  touched  Chaka, 
son  of  Senzangacona,  on  the  brow,  giving  him  to  doom. 
Then  she  spoke  ;  but,  though  Chaka  felt  the  touch,  he  did 
not  hear  the  words,  that  were  for  my  ears  alone. 

“  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama,”  said  the  low  voice,  “  stay 
fhy  hand,  the  cup  of  Chaka  is  not  full.  When,  for  the  fhird 


156 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


time,  thou  seest  me  riding  down  the  storm,  then  smite,  Mopo, 
my  child.  ” 

Thus  she  spoke,  and  a  cloud  swept  across  the  face  of  the 
moon.  When  it  passed  she  was  gone,  and  once  more  I  was 
alone  with  Chaka,  with  the  night  and  the  dead. 

Chaka  looked  up,  and  his  face  was  grey  with  the  sweat 
of  fear. 

“  Who  was  this,  Mopo  ?  ”  he  said  in  a  hollow  voice. 

“This  was  the  Inkosazana  of  the  Heavens,  she  who 
watches  ever  over  the  people  of  our  race,  0  King,  and  who 
from  time  to  time  is  seen  of  men  ere  great  things  shall 
befall.” 

“I  have  heard  speak  of  this  queen,”  said  Chaka. 
“Wherefore  came  she  now,  what  was  the  song  she  sang, 
and  why  did  she  touch  me  with  a  spear  ?  ” 

“She  came,  0  King,  because  the  dead  hand  of  Baleka 
summoned  her,  as  thou  sawest.  The  song  she  sang  was  of 
things  too  high  for  me ;  and  why  she  touched  thee  on  the 
forehead  with  the  spear  I  do  not  know,  0  King !  Berchance 
it  was  to  crown  thee  chief  of  a  yet  greater  realm.” 

“Yea,  perchance  to  crown  me  chief  of  a  realm  of  death.” 

“  That  thou  art  already,  Black  One,”  I  answered,  glanc¬ 
ing  at  the  silent  multitude  before  us  and  the  cold  shape  of 
Baleka. 

Again  Chaka  shuddered.  “Come,  let  us  be  going,  Mopo,” 
he  said ;  “  now  I  have  learnt  what  it  is  to  be  afraid.” 

.  “Early  or  late,  Fear  is  a  guest  that  all  must  feast,  even 
kings,  0  Earth-Shaker  !  ”  I  answered ;  and  we  turned  and 
went  homewards  in  silence. 

Now  after  this  night  Chaka  gave  it  out  that  his  kraal  of 
Gibamaxegu  was  bewitched,  and  bewitched  was  the  land  of 
the  Zulus,  because  he  might  sleep  no  more  in  peace,  but 
woke  ever  crying  out  with  fear,  and  muttering  the  name  of 
Baleka.  Therefore,  in  the  end  he  moved  his  kraal  far  away, 
and  built  the  great  town  of  Duguza  here  in  Natal. 

Look  now,  my  father !  There  on  the  plain  far  away  is  a 
place  of  the  white  men — it  is  called  Stanger.  There,  where 
is  the  white  man’s  town,  stood  the  great  kraal  Duguza.  I 


MASILO  COMES  TO  THE  KRAAL  DUGUZA 


157 


cannot  see,  for  my  eyes  are  dark  ;  but  you  can  see.  Where 
the  gate  of  the  kraal  was  built  there  is  a  house ;  it  is  the 
place  where  the  white  man  gives  out  justice;  that  is  the 
place  of  the  gate  of  the  kraal,  through  which  Justice  never 
walked.  Behind  is  another  house,  where  the  white  men 
who  have  sinned  against  Him  pray  to  the  King  of  Heaven 
for  forgiveness  ;  there  on  that  spot  have  I  seen  many  a  one 
who  had  done  no  wrong  pray  to  a  king  of  men  for  mercy, 
but  I  have  never  seen  but  one  who  found  it.  Ou !  the 
words  of  Chaka  have  come  true:  I  will  tell  them  to  you 
presently,  my  father.  The  white  man  holds  the  land,  he 
goes  to  and  fro  about  his  business  of  peace  where  impis  ran 
forth  to  kill;  his  children  laugh  and  gather  flowers  where 
men  died  in  blood  by  hundreds ;  they  bathe  in  the  waters 
of  the  Imbozamo,  where  once  the  crocodiles  were  fed  daily 
with  human  flesh ;  his  young  men  woo  the  maidens  where 
other  maids  have  kissed  the  assegai.  It  is  changed,  nothing 
is  the  same,  and  of  Chaka  are  left  only  a  grave  yonder  and 
a  name  of  fear. 

Now,  after  Chaka  had  come  to  the  Huguza  kraal,  for  a 
while  he  sat  quiet,  then  the  old  thirst  of  blood  came  on 
him,  and  he  sent  his  impis  against  the  people  of  the  Pondos, 
and  they  destroyed  that  people,  and  brought  back  their 
cattle.  But  the  warriors  might  not  rest ;  again  they  were 
doctored  for  war,  and  sent  out  by  tens  of  thousands  to  con¬ 
quer  Sotyangana,  chief  of  the  people  who  live  north  of  the 
Limpopo.  They  went  singing,  after  the  king  had  looked 
upon  them  and  bidden  them  return  victorious  or  not  at  all. 
Their  number  was  so  great  that  from  the  hour  of  dawn  till 
the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  they  passed  the  gates  of 
the  kraal  like  countless  herds  of  cattle — they  the  uncon¬ 
quered.  Little  did  they  know  that  victory  smiled  011  them 
no  more  ;  that  they  must  die  by  thousands  of  hunger  and  of 
fever  in  the  marshes  of  the  Limpopo,  and  that  those  of 
them  who  returned  should  come  with  their  shields  in  their 
bellies,  having  devoured  their  shields  because  of  their  rav¬ 
enous  hunger  !  But  what  of  them  ?  They  were  nothing. 
Dust  was  the  name  of  one  of  the  great  regiments  that  went 


i5« 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


out  against  Sotyangana,  and  dust  they  were — dust  to  be 
driven  to  death  by  the  breath  of  Chaka,  Lion  of  the  Zulu. 

Now  few  men  remained  in  the  kraal  Duguza,  for  nearly 
all  had  gone  with  the  impi,  and  only  women  and  aged 
people  were  left.  Dingaan  and  Umhlangana,  brothers  of 
the  king,  were  there,  for  Chaka  would  not  suffer  them  to 
depart,  fearing  lest  they  should  plot  against  him,  and 
he  looked  on  them  always  with  an  angry  eye,  so  that  they 
trembled  for  their  lives,  though  they  dared  not  show  their 
fear  lest  fate  should  follow  fear.  But  I  guessed  it,  and 
like  a  snake  I  wound  myself  into  their  secrets,  and  we 
talked  together  darkly  and  in  hints.  But  of  that  presently, 
my  father,  for  I  must  tell  of  the  coming  of  Masilo,  he 
who  would  have  wed  Zinita,  and  whom  Umslopogaas  the 
Slaughterer  had  driven  out  from  the  kraals  of  the  People 
of  the  Axe. 

It  was  on  the  day  after  the  impi  had  left  that  Masilo 
came  to  the  kraal  Duguza,  craving  leave  to  speak  with  the 
king.  Chaka  sat  before  his  hut,  and  with  him  were 
Dingaan  and  Umhlangana,  his  royal  brothers.  I  was  there 
also,  and  certain  of  the  indunas,  councillors  of  the  king. 
Chaka  was  weary  that  morning,  for  he  had  slept  badly,  as 
now  he  always  did.  Therefore,  when  one  told  him  that  a 
certain  wanderer  named  Masilo  would  speak  with  him,  he  did 
not  command  that  the  man  should  be  killed,  but  bade  them 
bring  him  before  him.  Presently  there  was  a  sound  of 
praising,  and  I  saw  a  fat  man,  much  worn  with  travel,  who 
crawled  through  the  dust  towards  us  giving  the  sibonga, 
that  is,  naming  the  king  by  his  royal  names.  Chaka  bade  him 
cease  from  praising  and  tell  his  business.  Then  the  man  sat 
up  and  told  all  that  tale  which  you  have  heard,  my  father, 
of  how  a  young  man,  great  and  strong,  came  to  the  place  of 
the  People  of  the  Axe  and  conquered  Jikiza,  the  holder 
of  the  axe,  and  became  chief  of  that  people,  and  of  how  he 
had  taken  the  cattle  of  Masilo  and  driven  him  away.  Now 
Chaka  knew  nothing  of  this  People  of  the  Axe,  for  the 
land  was  great  in  those  days,  my  father,  and  there  were 
many  little  tribes  in  it,  living  far  away,  of  whom  the  king 
had  not  even  heard ;  so  he  questioned  Masilo  about  them,  and 


MASILO  COMES  TO  THE  KRAAL  DUGUZA 


159 


of  the  number  of  their  fighting-men,  of  their  wealth  in 
cattle,  of  the  name  of  the  young  man  who  ruled  them,  and 
especially  as  to  the  tribute  which  they  paid  to  the  king. 

Masilo  answered,  saying  that  the  number  of  their  fight¬ 
ing-men  was  perhaps  the  half  of  a  full  regiment,  that 
their  cattle  were  many,  for  they  were  rich,  that  they  paid 
no  tribute,  and  that  the  name  of  the  young  man  was 
Bulalio  the  Slaughterer — at  the  least,  he  was  known  by  that 
name,  and  he  had  heard  110  other. 

Then  the  king  grew  wroth.  “  Arise,  Masilo,”  he  said, 
“  and  run  to  this  people,  and  speak  in  the  ear  of  the  people, 
and  of  him  who  is  named  the  Slaughterer,  saying :  ‘  There 
is  another  Slaughterer,  who  sits  in  a  kraal  that  is  named 
Duguza,  and  this  is  his  word  to  you,  0  People  of  the  Axe, 
and  to  thee,  thou  who  holdest  the  axe.  Rise  up  with  all 
the  people,  and  with  all  the  cattle  of  your  people,  and  come 
before  him  who  sits  in  the  kraal  Duguza,  and  lay  in  his 
hands  the  great  axe  Groan-Maker.  Rise  up  swiftly  and  do 
this  bidding,  lest  ye  sit  down  shortly  and  for  the  last 
time  of  all.’  ” 1 

Masilo  heard,  and  said  it  should  be  so,  though  the  way 
was  far,  and  he  feared  greatly  to  appear  before  him  who  was 
called  the  Slaughterer,  and  who  sat  twenty  days’  journey  to 
the  north,  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Witch  Mountain. 

“  Begone,”  said  the  king,  “  and  stand  before  me  on  the 
thirtieth  day  from  now  with  the  answer  of  this  boy  with 
an  axe !  If  thou  standest  not  before  me,  then  some  shall 
come  to  seek  thee  and  the  boy  with  an  axe  also.” 

So  Masilo  turned  and  fled  swiftly  to  do  the  bidding  of 
the  king,  and  Cliaka  spoke  no  more  of  that  matter.  But  I 
wondered  in  my  heart  who  this  young  man  with  an  axe  might 
be;  for  I  thought  that  he  had  dealt  with  Jikiza  and  with 
the  sons  of  Jikiza  as  Umslopogaas  would  have  dealt  with 
them  had  he  come  to  the  years  of  his  manhood.  But  I  also 
said  nothing  of  the  matter. 

Now  on  this  day  also  there  came  to  me  news  that  my 
wife  Macropha  and  my  daughter  Nada  were  dead  among 
their  people  in  Swaziland.  It  was  said  that  the  men  of  the 

1  The  Zulus  are  buried  sitting. — Ed. 


i6o 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


chief  of  the  Halakazi  tribe  had  fallen  on  their  kraal  and  put 
all  in  it  to  the  assegai,  and  among  them  Macropha  and 
Nada.  I  heard  the  news,  but  I  wept  no  tear,  for,  my 
father,  I  was  so  lost  in  sorrows  that  nothing  could  move 
me  any  more. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MOPO  BARGAINS  WITH  THE  PRINCES. 

Eight-and-twenty  days  went  by,  my  father,  and  on  the 
nine-and-twentieth  it  befell  that  Chaka,  having  dreamed 
a  dream  in  his  troubled  sleep,  summoned  before  him  certain 
women  of  the  kraal,  to  the  number  of  a  hundred  or  more. 
Some  of  these  were  his  women,  whom  he  named  his  “  sisters,” 
and  some  were  maidens  not  yet  given  in  marriage ;  but  all 
were  young  and  fair.  Xow  what  this  dream  of  Chaka’s 
may  have  been  I  do  not  know,  or  have  forgotten,  for  in 
those  days  he  dreamed  many  dreams,  and  all  his  dreams  led 
to  one  end,  the  death  of  men.  He  sat  in  front  of  his  hut 
scowling,  and  I  was  with  him.  To  the  left  of  him  were 
gathered  the  girls  and  women,  and  their  knees  were  weak 
with  fear.  One  by  one  they  were  led  before  him,  and  stood 
before  him  with  bowed  heads.  Then  he  would  bid  them  be 
of  good  cheer,  and  speak  softly  to  them,  and  in  the  end 
would  ask  them  this  question:  “Hast  thou,  my  sister,  a  cat 
in  thy  hut  ?  ” 

Xow,  some  would  say  that  they  had  a  cat,  and  some  would 
say  that  they  had  none,  and  some  would  stand  still  and  make 
no  answer,  being  dumb  with  fear.  But,  whatever  they  said, 
the  end  was  the  same,  for  the  king  would  sigh  gently  and 
say :  “  Fare  thee  well,  my  sister ;  it  is  unfortunate  for  thee 
that  there  is  a  cat  in  thy  hut,”  or  “  that  there  is  no  cat  in 
thy  hut,”  or  “that  thou  canst  not  tell  me  whether  there  be 
a  cat  in  thy  hut  or  no.” 

Then  the  woman  would  be  taken  by  the  slayers,  dragged 
without  the  kraal,  and  their  end  was  swift.  So  it  went  on 
foi  ^he  m°sf  part  of  that  day,  till  sixty-and-two  women 


MOPO  BARGAINS  WITH  THE  PRINCES  161 

and  girls  had  been  slaughtered.  But  at  last  a  maiden  was 
brought  before  the  king,  and  to  this  one  her  snake  had 
given  a  ready  wit ;  for  when  Chaka  asked  her  whether  or  no 
there  was  a  cat  in  her  hut,  she  answered,  saying  that  she 
did  not  know,  “but  that  there  was  half  a  cat  upon  her,”  and 
she  pointed  to  a  cat’s-skin  which  was  bound  about  her  loins. 

Then  the  king  laughed,  and  clapped  his  hands,  saying  that 
at  length  his  dream  was  answered ;  and  he  killed  no  more 

that  day  nor  ever  again — save  once  only. 

.  ^ 

That  evening  my  heart  was  heavy  within  me,  and  I  cried 
in  my  heart  “  How  long  ?  nor  might  I  rest.  So  I  wan¬ 
dered  out  from  the  kraal  that  was  named  Duguza  to  the  great 
cleft  in  the  mountains  yonder,  and  sat  down  upon  a  rock 
high  up  in  the  cleft,  so  that  I  could  see  the  wide  lands  roll¬ 
ing  to  the  north  and  the  south,  to  my  right  and  to  my  left. 
Now,  the  day  was  drawing  towards  the  night,  and  the  air 
was  very  still,  for  the  heat  was  great  and  a  tempest  was 
gathering,  as  I,  who  am  a  Heaven-Herd,  knew  well.  The 
sun  sank  redly,  flooding  the  land  with  blood;  it  was  as 
though  all  the  blood  that  Chaka  had  shed  flowed  about 
the  land  which  Chaka  ruled.  Then  from  the  womb  of  the 
night  great  shapes  of  cloud  rose  up  and  stood  before  the 
sun,  and  he  crowned  them  with  his  glory,  and  in  their  hearts 
the  lightning  quivered  like  a  blood  of  fire.  The  shadow 
of  their  wings  fell  upon  the  mountain  and  the  plains,  and 
beneath  their  wings  was  silence.  Slowly  the  sun  sank,  and 
the  shapes  of  cloud  gathered  together  like  a  host  at  the 
word  of  its  captain,  and  the  flicker  of  the  lightning  was  as 
the  flash  of  the  spears  of  a  host.  I  looked,  and  my  heart 
grew  afraid.  The  lightning  died  away,  the  silence  deepened 
and  deepened  till  I  could  hear  it,  no  leaf  moved,  no  bird 
called,  the  world  seemed  dead — I  alone  lived  in  the  dead 
world. 

Now,  of  a  sudden,  my  father,  a  bright  star  fell  from  the 
height  of  heaven  and  lit  upon  the  crest  of  the  storm,  and  as 
it  lit  the  storm  burst.  The  grey  air  shivered,  a  moan  ran 
about  the  rocks  and  died  away,  then  an  icy  breath  burst 
from  the  lips  of  the  tempest  and  rushed  across  the  earth.  It 


M 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


162 

caught  the  falling  star  and  drove  it  on  toward  me,  a  rushing 
globe  of  fire,  and  as  it  came  the  star  grew  and  took  shape, 
and  the  shape  it  took  was  the  shape  of  a  woman.  I  knew  her 
now,  my  father ;  while  she  was  yet  far  off  I  knew  her— the 
Inkosazana  who  came  as  she  had  promised,  riding  down  the 
storm.  On  she  swept,  borne  forward  by  the  blast,  and  oh ! 
she  was  terrible  to  see,  for  her  garment  was  the  lightning, 
lightnings  shone  from  her  wide  eyes  and  lightnings  were  in 
her  streaming  hair,  while  in  her  hand  was  a  spear  of  fire, 
and  she  shook  it  as  she  came.  Now  she  was  at  the  mouth  of 
the  pass  ;  before  her  was  stillness,  behind  her  beat  the  wings 
of  the  storm,  the  thunder  roared,  the  rain  hissed  like  snakes  ; 
she  rushed  on  past  me,  and  as  she  passed  she  turned  her 
awful  eyes  upon  me,  withering  me.  She  was  there!  she 
was  gone !  but  she  spoke  no  word,  only  shook  her  flaming 
spear.  Yet  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  storm  spoke,  that  the 
rocks  cried  aloud,  that  the  rain  hissed  out  a  word  in  my  ear, 
and  the  word  was  : — 

“ Smite,  Mopo!” 

I  heard  in  my  heart,  or  with  my  ears,  what  does  it  mat¬ 
ter  ?  Then  I  turned  to  look ;  through  the  rush  of  the  tem¬ 
pest  and  the  reek  of  the  rain,  still  I  could  see  her  sweeping 
forward  high  in  air.  Now  the  kraal  Duguza  was  beneath 
her  feet,  and  the  flaming  spear  fell  from  her  hand  upon  the 
kraal  and  fire  leaped  up  in  answer. 

Then  she  passed  on  over  the  edge  of  the  world,  seeking 
her  own  place.  Thus,  my  father,  for  the  third  and  last 
time  did  my  eyes  see  the  Inkosazana-y-Zulu,  or  mayhap  my 
heart  dreamed  that  I  saw  her.  Soon  I  shall  see  her  again, 
but  it  will  not  be  here. 

Tor  a  while  I  sat  there  in  the  cleft,  then  I  rose  and  fought 
my  way  through  the  fury  of  the  storm  back  to  the  kraal 
Duguza.  As  I  drew  near  the  kraal  I  heard  cries  of  fear 
coming  through  the  roaring  of  the  wind  and  the  hiss  of  the 
rain.  I  entered  and  asked  one  of  the  matter,  and  it  was 
told  me  that  fire  from  above  had  fallen  on  the  hut  of  the 
king  as  he  lay  sleeping,  and  all  the  roof  of  the  hut  was 
burned  away,  but  that  the  rain  had  put  out  the  fire. 

Then  I  went  on  till  I  came  to  the  front  of  the  great  hut, 


MOPO  BARGAINS  WITH  THE  PRINCES  163 


and  I  saw  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  which  now  shone  out 
in  the  heaven,  that  there  before  it  stood  Chaka,  shaking 
with  fear,  and  the  water  of  the  rain  was  running  down  him, 
while  he  stared  at  the  great  hut,  of  which  all  the  thatch 
was  burned. 

I  saluted  the  king,  asking  him  what  evil  thing  had  hap¬ 
pened.  Seeing  me,  he  seized  me  by  the  arm,  and  clung  to 
me  as,  when  the  slayers  are  at  hand,  a  child  clings  to  his 
father,  drawing  me  after  him  into  a  small  hut  that  was  near. 

“  What  evil  thing  has  befallen,  0  King  ?  ”  I  said  again, 
when  light  had  been  made. 

“  Little  have  I  known  of  fear,  Mopo,”  said  Chaka,  “  yet 
I  am  afraid  now ;  ay,  as  much  afraid  as  when  once  on  a 
bygone  night  the  dead  hand  of  Baleka  summoned  some¬ 
thing  that  walked  upon  the  faces  of  the  dead.” 

“  And  what  fearest  thou,  0  King,  who  art  the  lord  of  all 
the  earth  ?  ” 

Now  Chaka  leaned  forward  and  whispered  to  me : 
“  Hearken,  Mopo,  I  have  dreamed  a  dream.  When  the 
judgment  of  those  witches  was  done  with,  I  went  and  laid 
me  down  to  sleep  while  it  was  yet  light,  for  I  can  scarcely 
sleep  at  all  when  darkness  has  swallowed  up  the  world. 
My  sleep  has  gone  from  me — that  sister  of  thine,  Baleka, 
took  my  sleep  with  her  to  the  place  of  death.  I  laid  me 
down  and  I  slept,  but  a  dream  arose  and  sat  by  me  with  a 
hooded  face,  and  showed  me  a  picture.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  the  wall  of  my  hut  fell  down,  and  I  saw  an  open  place, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  place  I  lay  dead,  covered  with  many 
wounds,  while  round  my  corpse  my  brothers  Dingaan  and 
Umhlangana  stalked  in  pride  like  lions.  O11  the  shoulders 
of  Umhlangana  was  my  royal  kaross,  and  there  was  blood  on 
the  kaross ;  and  in  the  hand  of  Dingaan  was  my  royal  spear, 
and  there  was  blood  upon  the  spear.  Then,  in  the  vision  of 
my  dream,  Mopo,  thou  didst  draw  near,  and,  lifting  thy 
hand,  didst  give  the  royal  salute  of  Bayete  to  these  brothers 
of  mine,  and  with  thy  foot  didst  spurn  the  carcase  of  me, 
thy  king.  Then  the  hooded  Dream  pointed  upwards  and 
was  gone,  and  I  awoke,  and  lo !  fire  burned  in  the  roof  of 
my  hut.  Thus  I  dreamed,  Mopo,  and  now,  my  servant, 

m  2 


164 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


say  thou,  wherefore  should  I  not  slay  thee,  thou  who 
wouldst  serve  other  kings  than  I,  thou  who  wouldst  give 
my  royal  salute  to  the  princes,  my  brothers  ?  ”  and  he 
glared  upon  me  fiercely. 

“As  thou  wilt,  0  King!”  I  answered  gently.  “Doubt¬ 
less  thy  dream  was  evil,  and  yet  more  evil  was  the  omen  of 
the  fire  that  fell  upon  thy  hut.  And  yet  ” - and  I  ceased. 

“  And  yet— Mopo,  thou  faithless  servant  ?  ” 

“And  yet,  0  King,  it  seems  to  me  in  my  folly  that  it 
were  well  to  strike  the  head  of  the  snake  and  not  its  tail, 
for  without  the  tail  the  head  may  live,  but  not  the  tail 
without  the  head.” 

“  Thou  wouldst  say,  Mopo,  that  if  these  princes  die  never 
canst  thou  or  any  other  man  give  them  the  royal  names. 
Do  I  hear  aright,  Mopo  ?  ” 

u  TV  ho  am  I  that  I  should  lift  up  my  voice  asking  for 
the  blood  of  princes?”  I  answered.  “Judge  thou,  0 
King!” 

Now,  Chaka  brooded  awhile,  then  he  spoke :  “  Say,  Mopo, 
can  it  be  done  this  night  ?  ” 

“There  are  but  few  men  in  the  kraal,  0  King.  All  are 
gone  out  to  war  ;  and  of  those  few  many  are  the  servants  of 
the  princes,  and  perhaps  they  might  give  blow  for  blow.” 

“  How  then,  Mopo  ?  ” 

“  Nay,  I  know  not,  0  King ;  yet  at  the  great  kraal  beyond 
the  river  sits  that  regiment  which  is  named  the  Slayers. 
By  midday  to-morrow  they  might  be  here,  and  then  ” - 

“  Thou  speakest  wisely,  my  child  Mopo;  it  shall  be  for 
to-morrow.  Go  summon  the  regiment  of  the  Slayers,  and, 
Mopo,  see  that  thou  fail  me  not.” 

“  If  I  fail  thee,  0  King,  then  I  fail  myself,  for  it  seems 
that  my  life  hangs  on  this  matter.” 

“If  all  the  words  that  ever  passed  thy  lips  are  lies,  yet 
is  that  word  true,  Mopo,”  said  Chaka:  “moreover,  know 
this,  my  servant:  if  aught  miscarries  thou  shalt  die  no 
common  death.  Begone!” 

“  I  hear  the  king,”  I  answered,  and  went  out. 

Now,  my  father,  I  knew  well  that  Chaka  had  doomed  me 
to  die,  though  first  he  would  use  me  to  destroy  the  princes. 


MOPO  BAP  GAIN'S  WITH  THE  PRINCES  165 

But  I  feared  nothing,  for  I  knew  this  also,  that  the  hour  of 
Chaka  ivas  come  at  last. 

dor  a  while  I  sat  in  my  hut  pondering,  then  when  all 
men  slept  I  arose  and  crept  like  a  snake  by  many  paths 
to  the  hut  of  Dingaan  the  prince,  who  awaited  me  on  that 
night.  Following  the  shadow  of  the  hut,  I  came  to  the 
door  and  scratched  upon  it  after  a  certain  fashion.  Pres¬ 
ently  it  was  opened,  and  I  crawled  in,  and  the  door  was 
shut  again,  how  there  was  a  little  light  in  the  hut,  and 
by  its  flame  I  saw  the  two  princes  sitting  side  by  side, 
wrapped  about  with  blankets  which  hung  before  their  brows. 

“  Who  is  this  that  comes  ?  ”  said  the  prince  Dingaan. 

Then  I  lifted  the  blanket  from  my  head  so  that  they 
might  see  my  face,  and  they  also  drew  the  blankets  from 
their  brows.  I  spoke,  saying :  “  Hail  to  you,  Princes,  who 
to-morrow  shall  be  dust !  Hail  to  you,  sons  of  Senzangacona, 
who  to-morrow  shall  be  spirits !  ”  and  I  pointed  towards 
them  with  my  withered  hand. 

How  the  princes  were  troubled  and  shook  with  fear. 

“  What  meanest  thou,  thou  dog,  that  thou  dost  speak 
to  us  words  of  such  ill-omen  ?  ”  said  the  Prince  Dingaan 
in  a  low  voice. 

“  Wherefore  dost  thou  point  at  us  with  that  white  and 
withered  hand  of  thine,  Wizard  ?  ”  hissed  the  Prince 
Umlilangana. 

“  Have  I  not  told  you,  0  ye  Princes  !  ”  I  whispered,  “  that 
ye  must  strike  or  die,  and  has  not  your  heart  failed  you  ? 
How  hearken  !  Chaka  has  dreamed  another  dream  ;  now  it 
is  Chaka  wrho  strikes,  and  ye  are  already  dead,  ye  children 
of  Senzangacona.” 

“  If  the  slayers  of  the  king  be  without  the  gates,  at  least 
thou  shalt  die  first,  thou  who  hast  betrayed  us  !  ”  quoth  the 
Prince  Dingaan,  and  drew  an  assegai  from  under  his  kaross. 

“First  hear  the  king’s  dream,  0  Prince,”  I  said;  “then, 
if  thou  wilt,  kill  me,  and  die.  Chaka  the  king  slept  and 
dreamed  that  he  lay  dead,  and  that  one  of  you,  the  princes, 
wore  his  royal  kaross.” 

“  Who  wore  the  royal  kaross  ?  ”  asked  Dingaan,  eagerly  ; 
and  both  looked  up,  waiting  on  my  words. 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


166 

“  The  Prince  Umhlangana  wore  it — in  the  dream  of 
Chaka — 0  Dingaan,  shoot  of  a  royal  stock  !  ”  I  answered 
slowly,  taking  snuff  as  I  spoke,  and  watching  the  two  of 
them  over  the  edge  of  my  snuff-spoon. 

Now  Dingaan  scowled  heavily  at  Umhlangana;  but  the 
face  of  Umhlangana  was  as  the  morning  sky. 

“  Chaka  dreamed  this  also,”  I  went  on :  “  that  one  of  you, 
the  princes,  held  his  royal  spear.” 

“ Who  held  the  royal  spear?”  asked  Umhlangana. 

“  The  Prince  Dingaan  held  it — in  the  dream  of  Chaka — 
0  Umhlangana,  sprung  from  the  root  of  kings  ! — and  it 
dripped  blood.” 

Now  the  face  of  Umhlangana  grew  dark  as  night,  but 
that  of  Dingaan  brightened  like  the  dawn. 

“  Chaka  dreamed  this  also :  that  I,  Mopo,  your  dog,  who 
am  not  worthy  to  be  mentioned  with  such  names,  came  up 
and  gave  the  royal  salute,  even  the  Bayete.” 

“To  whom  didst  thou  give  the  Bayete,  0  Mopo,  son  of 
Makedama  ?  ”  asked  both  of  the  princes  as  with  one  breath, 
waiting  on  my  words. 

“  I  gave  it  to  both  of  you,  0  twin  stars  of  the  morning, 
princes  of  the  Zulu — in  the  dream  of  Chaka  I  gave  it  to 
both  of  you.” 

Now  the  princes  looked  this  way  and  that,  and  were  silent, 
not  knowing  what  to  say,  for  these  princes  hated  each  other, 
though  adversity  and  fear  had  brought  them  to  one  bed. 

“But  what  avails  it  to  talk  thus,  ye  lords  of  the  land,” 
I  went  on,  “  seeing  that,  both  of  you,  ye  are  already  as  dead 
men,  and  that  vultures  which  are  hungry  to-night  to-morrow 
shall  be  filled  with  meat  of  the  best  ?  Chaka  the  king  is 
now  a  Doctor  of  Dreams,  and  to  clear  away  such  a  dream 
as  this  he  has  a  purging  medicine.” 

Now  the  brows  of  these  brothers  grew  black  indeed,  for 
they  saw  that  their  fate  was  on  them. 

“These  are  the  words  of  Chaka  the  king,  0  ye  bulls 
who  lead  the  herd !  All  are  doomed,  ye  twain  and  I,  and 
many  another  man  who  loves  us.  In  the  great  kraal  be¬ 
yond  the  river  there  sits  a  regiment :  it  is  summoned — 
and  then — good-night !  Have  ye  any  words  to  say  to  those 


‘  I  gave  it  to  both  of  you  O  twin  stars  of  the  morning  .  .  in  the 

dream  of  Chaka  I  gave  it  to  both  of  you.  ’ 


MOPO  BARGAINS  WITH  THE  PRINCES  167 


yet  left  upon  the  earth  ?  Perhaps  it  will  be  given  to  me 
to  live  a  little  while  after  ye  are  gone,  and  I  may  bring 
them  to  their  ears/’ 

“  Can  we  not  rise  up  now  and  fall  upon  Chaka  ?  ”  asked 
Dingaan. 

“  It  is  not  possible,”  I  said ;  “  the  king  is  guarded.” 

“  Hast  thou  no  plan,  Mopo?”  groaned  Umhlangana. 
“  Methinks  thou  hast  a  plan  to  save  us.” 

“And  if  I  have  a  plan,  ye  Princes,  what  shall  be  my 
reward  ?  It  must  be  great,  for  I  am  weary  of  life,  and  I 
will  not  use  my  wisdom  for  a  little  thing.” 

Now  both  the  princes  offered  me  good  things,  each  of  them 
promising  more  than  the  other,  as  two  young  men  who 
are  rivals  promise  to  the  father  of  a  girl  whom  both  would 
wed.  I  listened,  saying  always  that  it  was  not  enough,  till 
in  the  end  both  of  them  swore  by  their  heads,  and  by  the 
bones  of  Senzangacona,  their  father,  and  by  many  other 
things,  that  I  should  be  the  first  man  in  the  land,  after 
them,  its  kings,  and  should  command  the  impis  of  the  land, 
if  I  would  but  show  them  a  way  to  kill  Chaka  and  become 
kings.  Then,  when  they  had  done  swearing,  I  spoke,  weigh¬ 
ing  my  words  : — 

“  In  the  great  kraal  beyond  the  river,  0  ye  Princes,  there 
sit,  not  one  regiment  but  two.  One  is  named  the  Slayers 
and  loves  Chaka  the  king,  who  has  done  well  by  them,  giv¬ 
ing  them  cattle  and  wives.  The  other  is  named  the  Bees, 
and  that  regiment  is  hungry  and  longs  for  cattle  and  girls ; 
moreover,  of  that  regiment  the  Prince  Umhlangana  is  the 
general,  and  it  loves  him.  Now  this  is  my  plan — to  summon 
the  Bees  in  the  name  of  Umhlangana,  not  the  Slayers  in 
the  name  of  Chaka.  Bend  forward,  0  Princes,  that  I  may 
whisper  in  your  ears.” 

So  they  bent  forward,  and  I  whispered  awhile  of  the  death 
of  a  king,  and  the  sons  of  Senzangacona  nodded  their  heads 
as  one  man  in  answer.  Then  I  rose  up,  and  crept  from  the 
hut  as  I  had  entered  it,  and  rousing  certain  trusty  messen¬ 
gers,  I  dispatched  them,  running  swiftly  through  the  night 


NAD  A  7  HE  LILY 


1 68 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  DEATH  OF  CHAKA. 

Now,  on  the  morrow,  two  hours  before  midday,  Chaka 
came  from  the  hut  where  he  had  sat  through  the  night, 
and  moved  to  a  little  kraal  surrounded  by  a  fence  that  was 
some  fifty  paces  distant  from  the  hut.  Eor  it  was  my  duty, 
day  by  day,  to  choose  that  place  where  the  king  should  sit 
to  hear  the  counsel  of  his  indunas,  and  give  judgment  on 
those  whom  he  would  kill,  and  to-day  I  had  chosen  this 
place.  Chaka  went  alone  from  his  hut  to  the  kraal,  and,  for 
my  own  reasons,  I  accompanied  him,  walking  after  him.  As 
we  went  the  king  glanced  back  at  me  over  his  shoulder, 

and  said  in  a  low  voice  : — 

/ 

“  Is  all  prepared,  Mopo  ?  ” 

“All  is  prepared,  Black  One,”  I  answered.  “The  regi¬ 
ment  of  the  Slayers  will  be  here  by  noon.” 

“  Where  are  the  princes,  Mopo  ?  ”  asked  the  king  again. 

“The  princes  sit  with  their  wives  in  the  houses  of  their 
women,  0  King,”  I  answered ;  “  they  drink  beer  and  sleep  in 
the  laps  of  their  wives.” 

Chaka  smiled  grimly,  “For  the  last  time,  Mopo  !” 

“For  the  last  time,  0  King.” 

We  came  to  the  kraal,  and  Chaka  sat  down  in  the  shade 
of  the  reed  fence,  upon  an  ox-hide  that  was  brayed  soft. 
Near  to  him  stood  a  girl  holding  a  gourd  of  beer; 
there  were  also  present  the  old  chief  Inguazonca,  brother 
of  Unandi,  Mother  of  the  Heavens,  and  the  chief  Umxa- 
mama,  whom  Chaka  loved.  When  we  had  sat  a  little 
while  in  the  kraal,  certain  men  came  in  bearing  cranes’ 
feathers,  which  the  king  had  sent  them  to  gather  a  month’s 
journey  from  the  kraal  Fuguza,  and  they  were  admitted 
before  the  king.  These  men  hod  been  away  long  upon 
their  errand,  and  Chaka  was  angry  with  them.  Now  the 
leader  of  the  men  was  an  old  captain  of  Ch aka’s,  who  had 
fought  under  him  in  many  battles,  but  whose  service  was 


THE  DEATH  OF  CHAKA  169 

done,  because  his  right  hand  had  been  shorn  away  by  the 
blow  of  an  axe.  He  was  a  great  man  and  very  brave. 

Chaka  asked  the  man  why  he  had  been  so  long  in 
finding  the  feathers,  and  he  answered  that  the  birds  had 
flown  from  that  part  of  the  country  whither  he  was  sent, 
and  he  must  wait  there  till  they  returned,  that  he  might 
snare  them. 

“  Thou  shouldst  have  followed  the  cranes,  yes,  if  they  flew 
through  the  sunset,  thou  disobedient  dog !  ”  said  the  king. 
“  Let  him  be  taken  away,  and  all  those  who  were  with  him.” 

Now  some  of  the  men  prayed  a  little  for  mercy,  but  the 
captain  did  but  salute  the  king,  calling  him  “  Father/’  and 
craving  a  boon  before  he  died. 

“  AVhat  wouldst  thou  ?  ”  asked  Chaka. 

“  My  father,”  said  the  man,  “  I  would  ask  thee  two 
things.  I  have  fought  many  times  at  thy  side  in  battle 
while  we  both  were  young ;  nor  did  I  ever  turn  my  back 
upon  the  foe.  The  blow  that  shore  the  hand  from  off  this 
arm  was  aimed  at  thy  head,  0  King ;  I  stayed  it  with  my 
naked  arm.  It  is  nothing;  at  thy  will  I  live,  and  at  thy 
will  I  die.  Who  am  I  that  I  should  question  the  word  of 
the  king  ?  Yet  I  would  ask  this,  that  thou  wilt  withdraw 
the  kaross  from  about  thee,  0  King,  that  for  the  last  time 
my  eyes  may  feast  themselves  upon  the  body  of  him  whom, 
above  all  men,  I  love.” 

“  Thou  art  long-winded,”  said  the  king,  “  what  more  ?  ” 

“  This,  my  father,  that  I  may  bid  farewell  to  my  son ; 
he  is  a  little  child,  so  high,  0  King,”  and  he  held  his  hand 
above  his  knee. 

“  Thy  first  boon  is  granted,”  said  the  king,  slipping  the 
kaross  from  his  shoulders  and  showing  the  great  breast 
beneath.  “For  the  second  it  shall  be  granted  also,  for  I 
will  not  willingly  divide  the  father  and  the  son.  Bring  the 
boy  here;  thou  shalt  bid  him  farewell,  then  thou  shalt 
slay  him  with  thine  own  hand  ere  thou  thyself  art  slain  ; 
it  will  be  good  sport  to  see.” 

Now  the  man  turned  grey  beneath  the  blackness  of  his 
skin,  and  trembled  a  little  as  he  murmured,  ‘k  The  king’s 
will  is  the  will  of  his  servant ;  let  the  child  be  brought.” 


170 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


But  I  looked  at  Chaka  and  saw  that  the  tears  were 
running  down  his  face,  and  that  he  only  spoke  thus  to  try 
the  captain  who  loved  him  to  the  last. 

“  Let  the  man  go/’  said  the  king,  “  him  and  those  with 
him.” 

So  they  went  glad  at  heart  and  praising  the  king. 

I  have  told  you  this,  my  father,  though  it  has  not  to  do 
with  my  story,  because  then,  and  then  only,  did  I  ever  see 
Chaka  show  mercy  to  one  whom  he  had  doomed  to  die. 

As  the  captain  and  his  people  left  the  gate  of  the 
kraal,  it  was  spoken  in  the  ear  of  the  king  that  a  man 
sought  audience  of  him.  He  was  admitted  crawling  on  his 
knees.  I  looked  and  saw  that  this  was  that  Masilo  whom 
Chaka  had  charged  with  a  message  to  him  who  was 
named  Bulalio,  or  the  Slaughterer,  and  who  ruled  over  the 
People  of  the  Axe.  It  was  Masilo  indeed,  but  he  was  no 
longer  fat,  for  much  travel  had  made  him  thin ;  moreover,  on 
his  back  were  the  marks  of  rods,  as  yet  scarcely  healed  over. 

“  Who  art  thou  ?  ”  said  Chaka. 

“  I  am  Masilo,  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  to  whom  command 
was  given  to  run  with  a  message  to  Bulalio  the  Slaughterer, 
their  chief,  and  to  return  on  the  thirtieth  day.  Behold, 
0  King,  I  have  returned,  though  in  a  sorry  plight!” 

“  It  seems  so !”  said  the  king,  laughing  aloud.  “I  remem¬ 
ber  now :  speak  on,  Masilo  the  Thin,  who  wast  Masilo  the 
Pat ;  what  of  this  Slaughterer  ?  Hoes  he  come  with  his 
people  to  lay  the  axe  Groan-Maker  in  my  hands  ?  ” 

“Nay,  0  King,  he  comes  not.  He  met  me  with  scorn, 
and  with  scorn  he  drove  me  from  his  kraal.  Moreover,  as 
I  went  I  was  seized  by  the  servants  of  Zinita,  she  whom  I 
wooed,  but  who  is  now  the  wife  of  the  Slaughterer,  and  laid 
on  my  face  upon  the  ground  and  beaten  cruelly  while  Zinita 
numbered  the  strokes.” 

“  Hah  !  ”  said  the '  king.  “  And  what  were  the  words  of 
this  puppy  ?  ” 

“  These  were  his  words,  0  King :  ( Bulalio  the  Slaugh¬ 
terer,  who  sits  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Witch  Mountain, 
to  Bulalio  the  Slaughterer  who  sits  in  the  kraal  Duguza 
— To  thee  I  pay  no  tribute ;  if  thou  wouldst  have  the  axe 


THE  DEATH  OF  CHAKA 


171 

Groan-Maker,  come  to  the  Ghost  Mountain  and  take  it. 
This  I  promise  thee:  thou  slialt  look  011  a  face  thou  knowest, 
for  there  is  one  there  who  would  be  avenged  for  the  blood 
of  a  certain  Mopo.?  ” 

Now,  while  Masilo  told  this  tale  I  had  seen  two  things 
— first,  that  a  little  piece  of  stick  was  thrust  through  the 
straw  of  the  fence,  and,  secondly,  that  the  regiment  of  the 
Bees  was  swarming  on  the  slope  opposite  to  the  kraal  in 
obedience  to  the  summons  I  had  sent  them  in  the  name  of 
Umhlangana.  The  stick  told  me  that  the  princes  were 
hidden  behind  the  fence  waiting  the  signal,  and  the  coming 
of  the  regiment  that  it  was  time  to  do  the  deed. 

When  Masilo  had  spoken  Chaka  sprang  up  in  fury. 
His  eyes  rolled,  his  face  worked,  foam  flew  from  his  lips, 
for  such  words  as  these  had  never  offended  his  ears  since 
he  was  king,  and  Masilo  knew  him  little,  else  he  had  not 
dared  to  utter  them. 

For  a  while  he  gasped,  shaking  his  small  spear,  for  at 
first  he  could  not  speak.  At  length  he  found  words : — 

“  The  dog,”  he  hissed,  “  the  dog  who  dares  thus  to  spit 
in  my  face  !  Hearken  all !  As  with  my  last  breath  I  com¬ 
mand  that  this  Slaughterer  be  torn  limb  from  limb,  he  and 
all  his  tribe !  And  thou,  thou  darest  to  bring  me  this  talk 
from  a  skunk  of  the  mountains.  And  thou,  too,  Mopo, 
thy  name  is  named  in  it.  Well,  of  thee  presently.  Ho! 
Umxamama,  my  servant,  slay  me  this  slave  of  a  messenger, 
beat  out  his  brains  with  thy  stick.  Swift!  swift!” 

Now,  the  old  chief  Umxamama  sprang  up  to  do  the  king’s 
bidding,  but  he  was  feeble  with  age,  and  the  end  of  it  was 
that  Masilo,  being  mad  with  fear,  killed  Umxamama,  not 
Umxamama  Masilo.  Then  Inguazonca,  brother  of  Unandi, 
Mother  of  the  Heavens,  fell  upon  Masilo  and  ended  him, 
but  was  hurt  himself  in  so  doing.  Now  I  looked  at  Chaka, 
who  stood  shaking  the  little  red  spear,  and  thought  swiftly, 
for  the  hour  had  come. 

“  Help  !  ”  I  cried,  “  one  is  slaying  the  king  !  ” 

As  I  spoke  the  reed  fence  burst  asunder,  and  through  it 
plunged  the  princes  Umhlangana  and  Dingaan,  as  bulls 
plunge  through  a  brake. 


172 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Then  I  pointed  to  Chaka  with  my  withered  hand,  saying, 
“Behold  your  king  !  ” 

Now,  from  beneath  the  shelter  of  his  kaross,  each  Prince 
drew  out  a  short  stabbing  spear,  and  plunged  it  into  the 
body  of  Chaka  the  king.  Umhlangana  smote  him  on  the  left 
shoulder,  Dingaan  struck  him  in  the  right  side.  Chaka 
dropped  the  little  spear  handled  with  the  red  wood  and 
looked  round,  and  so  royally  that  the  princes,  his  brothers, 
grew  afraid  and  shrank  away  from  him. 

Twice  he  looked  on  each;  then  he  spoke,  saying:  “What! 
do  yon  slay  me,  my  brothers — dogs  of  mine  own  house,  whom 
I  have  fed  ?  Do  you  slay  me,  thinking  to  possess  the  land 
and  to  rule  it  ?  I  tell  you  it  shall  not  be  for  long.  I  hear  a 
sound  of  running  feet — the  feet  of  a  great  white  people.  They 
shall  stamp  yon  flat,  children  of  my  father  !  They  shall  rule 
the  land  that  I  have  won,  and  you  and  your  people  shall  be 
their  slaves !  ” 

Thus  Chaka  spoke  while  the  blood  ran  down  him  to  the 
ground,  and  again  he  looked  on  them  royally,  like  a  buck 
at  gaze. 

“  Make  an  end,  0  ye  who  would  be  kings  !  ”  I  cried ;  but 
their  hearts  had  turned  to  water  and  they  could  not.  Then 
I,  Mopo,  sprang  forward  and  picked  from  the  ground  that 
little  assegai  handled  with  the  royal  wood — the  same  assegai 
with  which  Chaka  had  murdered  Unandi,  his  mother,  and 
Moosa,  my  son,  and  lifted  it  on  high,  and  while  I  lifted 
it,  my  father,  once  more,  as  when  I  was  young,  a  red  veil 
seemed  to  wave  before  my  eyes. 

“  Wherefore  wouldst  thou  kill  me,  Mopo  ?  ”  said  the  king. 

“For  the  sake  of  Baleka,  my  sister,  to  whom  I  swore  the 
deed,  and  of  all  my  kin/’  I  cried,  and  plunged  the  spear 
through  him.  He  sank  down  upon  the  tanned  ox-hide,  and 
lay  there  dying.  Once  more  he  spoke,  and  once  only,  saying : 
“  Would  now  tha,t  I  had  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  Nobela, 
who  warned  me  against  thee,  thou  dog!” 

Then  he  was  silent  for  ever.  But  I  knelt  over  him  and 
called  in  his  ear  the  names  of  all  those  of  my  blood  who 
had  died  at  his  hands — the  name  of  Makedama,  my  father, 
of  my  mother,  of  Anadi  my  wife,  of  Moosa  my  son,  and 


I  shook  my  withered  hand  before  him.’ 


THE  DEATH  OF  CHAKA 


173 


all  my  other  wives  and  children,  and  of  Baleka  my  sister. 
His  eyes  and  ears  were  open,  and  I  think,  my  father,  that 
he  saw  and  understood ;  I  think  also  that  the  hate  upon 
my  face  as  I  shook  my  withered  hand  before  him  was  more 
fearful  to  him  than  the  pain  of  death.  At  the  least,  he 
turned  his  head  aside,  shut  his  eyes,  and  groaned.  Pres¬ 
ently  they  opened  again,  and  he  was  dead. 

Thus  then,  my  father,  did  Chaka  the  King,  the  greatest 
man  who  has  ever  lived  in  Zululand,  and  the  most  evil,  pass 
by  my  hand  to  those  kraals  of  the  Inkosazana  where  no 
sleep  is.  In  blood  he  died  as  he  had  lived  in  blood,  for  the 
climber  at  last  falls  with  the  tree,  and  in  the  end  the  swim¬ 
mer  is  borne  away  by  the  stream.  Now  he  trod  that  path 
which  had  been  beaten  flat  for  him  by  the  feet  of  people 
whom  he  had  slaughtered,  many  as  the  blades  of  grass  upon 
a  mountain-side;  but  it  is  a  lie  to  say,  as  some  do,  that  he 
died  a  coward,  praying  for  mercy.  Chaka  died  as  he  had 
lived,  a  brave  man.  Ou !  my  father,  I  know  it,  for  these 
eyes  saw  it  and  this  hand  let  out  his  life. 

Now  he  was  dead  and  the  regiment  of  the  Bees  drew 
near,  nor  could  I  know  how  they  would  take  this  matter, 
for,  though  the  Prince  Umhlangana  was  their  general,  yet 
all  the  soldiers  loved  the  king,  because  he  had  no  equal  in 
battle,  and  when  he  gave  he  gave  with  an  open  hand.  .  I 
looked  round;  the  princes  stood  like  men  amazed;  the  girl 
had  fled;  the  chief  Umxamama  was  dead  at  the  hands  of 
dead  Masilo ;  and  the  old  chief  Inguazonca,  who  had  killed 
Masilo,  stood  by,  hurt  and  wondering ;  there  were  no  others 
in  the  kraal. 

“  Awake,  ye  kings,”  I  cried  to  the  brothers,  “the  impi  is 
at  the  gates  !  Swift,  now  stab  that  man  !  ” — and  I  pointed 
to  the  old  chief— “and  leave  the  matter  to  my  wit.” 

Then  Dingaan  roused  himself,  and  springing  upon  Ingua¬ 
zonca,  the  brother  of  Unandi,  smote  him  a  great  blow  with 
his  spear,  so  that  he  sank  down  dead  without  a  word.  Then 
again  the  princes  stood  silent  and  amazed. 

« This  one  will  tell  no  tales,”  I  cried,  pointing  to  the 

fallen  chief. 


174 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  a  rumour  of  the  slaying  had  got  abroad  among  the 
women,  who  had  heard  cries  and  seen  the  flashing  of  spears 
above  the  fence,  and  from  the  women  it  had  come  to  the 
regiment  of  the  Bees,  who  advanced  to  the  gates  of  the 
kraal  singing.  Then  of  a  sudden  they  ceased  their  singing 
and  rushed  towards  the  hut  in  front  of  which  we  stood. 

Then  I  ran  to  meet  them,  uttering  cries  of  woe,  holding 
in  my  hand  the  little  assegai  of  the  king  red  with  the 
king’s  blood,  and  spoke  with  the  captains  in  the  gate, 
saying : — 

“  Lament,  ye  captains  and  ye  soldiers,  weep  and  lament, 
for  your  father  is  no  more !  He  who  nursed  you  is  no  more  ! 
The  king  is  dead !  now  earth  and  heaven  will  come  to¬ 
gether,  for  the  king  is  dead !  ” 

“  How  so,  Mopo  ?  ”  cried  the  leader  of  the  Bees.  “  How 
is  our  father  dead  ?  ” 

“  He  is  dead  by  the  hand  of  a  wicked  wanderer  named 
Masilo,  who,  when  he  was  doomed  to  die  by  the  king, 
snatched  this  assegai  from  the  king’s  hand  and  stabbed  him ; 
and  afterwards,  before  he  could  be  cut  down  himself  by  us 
three,  the  princes  and  myself,  he  killed  the  chiefs  Ingua- 
zonca  and  Umxamama  also.  Draw  near  and  look  on  him 
who  was  the  king;  it  is  the  command  of  Dingaan  and 
Umhlangana,  the  kings,  that  you  draw  near  and  look  on 
him  who  was  the  king,  that  his  death  at  the  hand  of 
Masilo  may  be  told  through  all  the  land.” 

“You  are  better  at  making  of  kings,  Mopo,  than  at  the 
saving  of  one  who  was  your  king  from  the  stroke  of  a  wan¬ 
derer,”  said  the  leader  of  the  Bees,  looking  at  me  doubtfully. 

But  his  words  passed  unheeded,  for  some  of  the  captains 
went  forward  to  look  on  the  Great  One  who  was  dead,  and 
some,  together  with  most  of  the  soldiers,  ran  this  way  and 
that,  crying  in  their  fear  that  now  the  heaven  and  earth 
would  come  together,  and  the  race  of  man  would  cease  to 
be,  because  Chaka,  the  king,  was  dead. 

Now,  my  father,  how  shall  I,  whose  days  are  few,  tell  you 
of  all  the  matters  that  happened  after  the  death  of  Chaka  ? 
Were  I  to  speak  of  them  all  they  would  fill  many  books  of 


THE  DEATH  OF  CHAKA 


175 


the  white  men,  and,  perhaps,  some  of  them  are  written 
down  there.  For  this  reason  it  is,  that  I  may  be  brief,  I 
have  only  spoken  of  a  few  of  those  events  which  befell 
in  the  reign  of  Chaka;  for  my  tale  is  not  of  the  reign  of 
Chaka,  but  of  the  lives  of  a  handful  of  people  who  lived  in 
those  days,  and  of  whom  I  and  Umslopogaas  alone  are  left 
alive — if?  indeed,  Umslopogaas,  the  son  of  Chaka,  is  still 
living  on  the  earth.  Therefore,  in  a  few  words  I  will  pass 
over  all  that  came  about  after  the  fall  of  Chaka  and  till 
I  was  sent  down  by  Dingaan,  the  king,  to  summon  him  to 
surrender  to  the  king  who  was  called  the  Slaughterer  and 
who  ruled  the  People  of  the  Axe.  Ah!  would  that  I  had 
known  for  certain  that  this  was  none  other  than  Umslopo- 
gaas,  for  then  had  Dingaan  gone  the  way  that  Chaka  went  and 
which  Umhlangana  followed,  and  Umslopogaas  had  ruled  the 
people  of  the  Zulus  as  their  king.  But,  alas  !  my  wisdom 
failed  me.  I  paid  no  heed  to  the  voice  of  my  heart  which  told 
me  that  this  was  Umslopogaas  who  sent  the  message  to  Chaka 
threatening  vengeance  for  one  Mopo,  and  I  knew  nothing  till 
too  late ;  surely,  I  thought,  the  man  spoke  of  some  other 
Mopo.  For  thus,  my  father,  does  destiny  make  fools  of  us 
men.  We  think  that  we  can  shape  our  fate,  but  it  is  fate 
that  shapes  us,  and  nothing  befalls  except  fate  will  it.  All 
things  are  a  great  pattern,  my  father,  drawn  by  the  hand  of 
the  Umkulunkulu  upon  the  cup  whence  he  drinks  the  water 
of  his  wisdom;  and  our  lives,  and  what  we  do,  and  what  we 
do  not  do,  are  but  a  little  bit  of  the  pattern,  which  is  so  big 
that  only  the  eye  of  Him  who  is  above,  the  Umkulunkulu, 
can  see  it  all.  Even  Chaka,  the  slayer  of  men,  and  all 
those  he  slew,  are  but  as  a  tiny  grain  of  dust  in  the  great¬ 
ness  of  that  pattern.  How,  then,  can  we  be  wise,  my  father, 
who  are  but  the  tools  of  wisdom  ?  how  can  we  build  who  are 
but  pebbles  in  a  wall  ?  how  can  we  give  life  who  are  babes 
in  the  womb  of  fate  ?  or  how  can  we  slay  who  are  but  spears 
in  the  hands  of  the  slayer  ? 

This  came  about,  my  father.  Matters  were  made  straight 
in  the  land  after  the  death  of  Chaka.  At  first  people  said 
that  Masilo,  the  stranger,  had  stabbed  the  king;  then  it 
was  known  that  Mopo,  the  wise  man,  the  doctor  and  body- 


176 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


servant  of  the  king,  had  slain  the  king,  and  that  the  two 
great  bulls,  his  brothers  Umhlangana  and  Dingaan,  children 
of  Senzangacona,  had  also  lifted  spears  against  him.  But  he 
was  dead,  and  earth  and  heaven  had  not  come  together,  so 
what  did  it  matter  ?  Moreover,  the  two  new  kings  prom¬ 
ised  to  deal  gently  with  the  people,  and  to  lighten  the 
heavy  yoke  of  Chaka,  and  men  in  a  bad  case  are  always 
ready  to  hope  for  a  better.  So  it  came  about  that  the  only 
enemies  the  princes  found  were  each  other  and  Engwade,  the 
son  of  Unandi,  Chaka’ s  half-brother.  But  I,  Mopo,  who 
was  now  the  first  man  in  the  land  after  the  kings,  ceasing 
to  be  a  doctor  and  becoming  a  general,  went  up  against 
Engwade  with  the  regiment  of  the  Bees  and  the  regiment 
of  the  Slayers  and  smote  him  in  his  kraals.  It  was  a  hard 
fight,  but  in  the  end  I  destroyed  him  and  all  his  people: 
Engwade  killed  eight  men  with  his  own  hand  before  I  slew 
him.  Then  I  came  back  to  the  kraal  with  the  few  that  were 
left  alive  of  the  two  regiments. 

After  that  the  two  kings  quarrelled  more  and  more,  and 
I  weighed  them  both  in  my  balance,  for  I  would  know  which 
was  the  most  favourable  to  me.  In  the  end  I  found  that 
both  feared  me,  but  that  Umhlangana  would  certainly  put 
me  to  death  if  he  gained  the  upper  hand,  whereas  this  was 
not  yet  in  the  mind  of  Dingaan.  So  I  pressed  down  the 
balance  of  Umhlangana  and  raised  that  of  Dingaan,  sending 
the  fears  of  Umhlangana  to  sleep  till  I  could  cause  his  hut 
to  be  surrounded.  Then  Umhlangana  followed  upon  the 
road  of  Chaka  his  brother,  the  road  of  the  assegai;  and 
Dingaan  ruled  alone  for  awhile.  Such  are  the  things  that 
befall  princes  of  this  earth,  my  father.  See,  I  am  but  a 
little  man,  and  my  lot  is  humble  at  the  last,  yet  I  have 
brought  about  the  death  of  three  of  them,  and  of  these  two 
died  by  my  hand. 

It  was  fourteen  days  after  the  passing  away  of  the  Prince 
Umhlangana  that  the  great  army  came  back  in  a  sorry 
plight  from  the  marshes  of  the  Limpopo,  for  half  of  them 
were  left  dead  of  fever  and  the  might  of  the  foe,  and  the 
rest  were  starving.  It  was  well  for  them  who  yet  lived  that 
Chaka  was  no  more,  else  they  had  joined  their  brethren  who 


MOPO  GOES  TO  SEEK  THE  SLAUGHTERER  1 77 


were  dead  on  the  way ;  since  never  before  for  many  years 
Had  a  Zulu  impi  returned  unvictorious  and  without  a  single 
head  of  cattle.  Thus  it  came  about  that  they  were  glad 
enough  to  welcome  a  king  who  spared  their  lives,  and  thence¬ 
forth,  till  his  fate  found  him,  Dingaan  reigned  unquestioned. 

Now,  Dingaan  was  a  prince  of  the  blood  of  Chaka  in¬ 
deed  ;  for,  like  Chaka,  he  was  great  in  presence  and  cruel  at 
heart,  but  he  had  not  the  might  and  the  mind  of  Chaka. 
Moreover,  he  was  treacherous  and  a  liar,  and  these  Chaka  was 
not.  Also,  he  loved  women  much,  and  spent  with  them  the 
time  that  he  should  have  given  to  matters  of  the  State. 
Yet  he  reigned  awhile  in  the  land.  I  must  tell  this  also ; 
that  Dingaan  would  have  killed  Panda,  his  half-brother,  so 
that  the  house  of  Senzangacona,  his  father,  might  be  swept 
out  clean.  Now  Panda  was  a  man  of  gentle  heart,  who  did 
not  love  war,  and  therefore  it  was  thought  that  he  was  half¬ 
witted  ;  and,  because  I  loved  Panda,  when  the  question  of 
his  slaying  came  on,  I  and  the  chief  Mapita  spoke  against  it, 
and  pleaded  for  him,  saying  that  there  was  nothing  to  be 
feared  at  his  hands  who  was  a  fool.  So  in  the. end  Dingaan 
gave  way,  saying,  u  Well,  you  ask  me  to  spare  this  dog  and 
I  will  spare  him,  but  one  day  he  will  bite  me.” 

So  Panda  was  made  governor  of  the  king’s  cattle.  Yet 
in  the  end  the  words  of  Dingaan  came  true,  for  it  was  the 
grip  of  Panda’s  teeth  that  pulled  him  from  the  throne; 
only,  if  Panda  was  the  dog  that  bit,  I,  Mopo,  was  the 
man  who  set  him  on  the  hunt. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

MOPO  GOES  TO  SEEK  THE  SLAUGHTERER. 

Now  Dingaan,  deserting  the  kraal  Duguza,  moved  back  to 
Zululand,  and  built  a  great  kraal  by  the  Mahlabatine,  which 
he  named  “  Umgugundhlovu  ” — that  is,  “the  rumbling  of 
the  elephant.”  Also,  he  caused  all  the  fairest  girls  in  the 
land  to  be  sought  out  as  his  wives,  and  though  many  were 


178 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


found  yet  he  craved  for  more.  And  at  this  time  a  rumour 
came  to  the  ears  of  the  King  Dingaan  that  there  lived  in 
Swaziland  among  the  Halakazi  tribe  a  girl  of  the  most  won¬ 
derful  beauty,  who  was  named  the  Lily,  and  whose  skin  was 
whiter  than  are  the  skins  of  our  people,  and  he  desired  greatly 
to  have  this  girl  to  wife.  So  Dingaan  sent  an  embassy  to 
the  chief  of  the  Halakazi,  demanding  that  the  girl  should  be 
given  to  him.  At  the  end  of  a  month  the  embassy  returned 
again,  and  told  the  king  that  they  had  found  nothing  but 
hard  words  at  the  kraal  of  the  Halakazi,  and  had  been  driven 
thence  with  scorn  and  blows. 

This  was  the  message  of  the  chief  of  the  Halakazi  to 
Dingaan,  king  of  the  Zulus :  That  the  maid  who  was  named 
the  Lily,  was,  indeed,  the  wonder  of  the  earth,  and  as  yet 
unwed ;  for  she  had  found  no  man  upon  whom  she  looked 
with  favour,  and  she  was  held  in  such  love  by  this  people 
that  it  was  not  their  wish  to  force  any  husband  on  her. 
Moreover,  the  chief  said  that  he  and  his  people  defied 
Dingaan  and  the  Zulus,  as  their  fathers  had  defied  Chaka 
before  him, -and  spat  upon  his  name,  and  that  no  maid  of 
theirs  should  go  to  be  the  wife  of  a  Zulu  dog. 

Then  the  chief  of  the  Halakazi  caused  the  maid  who  was 
named  the  Lily  to  be  led  before  the  messengers  of  Dingaan, 
and  they  found  her  wonderfully  fair,  for  so  they  said :  she 
was  tall  as  a  reed,  and  her  grace  was  the  grace  of  a  reed  that 
is  shaken  in  the  wind.  Moreover,  her  hair  curled,  and  hung 
upon  her  shoulders,  her  eyes  were  large  and  brown,  and 
soft  as  a  buck’s,  her  colour  was  the  colour  of  rich  cream,  her 
smile  was  like  a  ripple  on  the  waters,  and  when  she  spoke 
her  voice  was  low  and  sweeter  than  the  sound  of  an  instru¬ 
ment  of  music.  They  said  also  that  the  girl  wished  to 
speak  with  them,  but  the  chief  forbade  it,  and  caused  her  to 
be  led  thence  with  all  honour. 

Now,  when  Dingaan  heard  this  message  he  grew  mad  as 
a  lion  in  a  net,  for  he  desired  this  maid  above  everything, 
and  yet  he  who  had  all  things  could  not  win  the  maid. 
This  was  his  command,  that  a  great  impi  should  be  gath¬ 
ered  and  sent  to  Swaziland  against  the  Halakazi  tribe,  to 
destroy  them  and  seize  the  maid.  But  when  the  matter 


MOPO  GOES  TO  SEEK  THE  SLAUGHTERER  179 


came  on  to  be  discussed  with  the  indunas  in  the  presence  of 
the  king,  at  the  AmapaJcati  or  council,  I,  as  chief  of  the  in¬ 
dunas,  spoke  against  it,  saying  that  the  tribe  of  the  Halakazi 
were  great  and  strong,  and  that  war  with  them  would  mean 
war  with  the  Swazis  also ;  moreover,  they  had  their  dwell¬ 
ing  in  caves  which  were  hard  to  win.  Also,  I  said,  that  this 
was  no  time  to  send  impis  to  seek  a  single  girl,  for  few 
years  had  gone  by  since  the  Black  One  fell ;  and  foes  were 
many,  and  the  soldiers  of  the  land  had  waxed  few  with 
slaughter,  half  of  them  having  perished  in  the  marshes  of 
the  Limpopo.  Now,  time  must  be  given  them  to  grow  up 
again,  for  to-day  they  were  as  a  little  child,  or  like  a  man 
wasted  with  hunger.  Maids  were  many ;  let  the  king  take 
them  and  satisfy  his  heart,  but  let  him  make  no  war  for 
this  one. 

Thus  I  spoke  boldly  in  the  face  of  the  king,  as  none  had 
dared  to  speak  before  Chaka ;  and  courage  passed  from  me 
to  the  hearts  of  the  other  indunas  and  generals,  and  they 
echoed  my  words,  for  they  knew  that,  of  all  follies,  to  begin 
a  new  war  with  the  Swazi  people  would  be  the  greatest. 

Dingaan  listened,  and  his  brow  grew  dark,  yet  he  was 
not  so  firmly  seated  on  the  throne  that  he  dared  put  away 
our  words,  for  still  there  were  many  in  the  land  who  loved 
the  memory  of  Chaka,  and  remembered  that  Dingaan  had 
murdered  him  and  Umhlangana  also.  For  now  that  Chaka 
was  dead,  people  forgot  how  evilly  he  had  dealt  with  them, 
and  remembered  only  that  he  was  a  great  man,  who  had 
made  the  Zulu  people  out  of  nothing,  as  a  smith  fashions  a 
bright  spear  from  a  lump  of  iron.  Also,  though  they  had 
changed  masters,  yet  their  burden  was  not  lessened,  for,  as 
Chaka  slew,  so  Dingaan  slew  also,  and  as  Chaka  oppressed  so 
did  Dingaan  oppress.  Therefore  Dingaan  yielded  to  the  voice 
of  his  indunas  and  no  impi  was  sent  against  the  Halakazi 
to  seek  the  maid  that  was  named  the  Lily.  But  still  he 
hankered  for  her  in  his  heart,  and  from  that  hour  he  hated  me 
because  I  had  crossed  his  will  and  robbed  him  of  his  desire. 

Now,  my  father,  there  is  this  to  be  told  :  though  I  did  not 
know  it  then,  the  maid  who  was  named  the  Lily  was  no 
other  than  my  daughter  Nada.  The  thought,  indeed,  came 


j8o  -  NAD  A  THE  LILY 

into  my  mind,  that  none  but  Nada  could  be  so  fair.  Yet  I 
knew  for  certain  that  Nada  and  her  mother  Macropha  were 
dead,  for  he  who  brought  me  the  news  of  their  death  had 
seen  their  bodies  lying  locked  in  each  other’s  arms,  killed, 
as  it  were,  by  the  same  spear.  Yet,  as  it  chanced,  he  was 
wrong;  for  though  Macropha  indeed  was  killed,  it  was  an¬ 
other  maid  who  lay  in  blood  beside  her;  for  the  people 
whither  I  had  sent  Macropha  and  Nada  were  tributary  to 
the  Halakazi  tribe,  and  that  chief  of  the  Halakazi  who 
sat  in  the  place  of  Galazi  the  Wolf  had  quarrelled  with 
them,  and  fallen  on  them  by  night  and  eaten  them  up. 

As  I  learned  afterwards,  the  cause  of  their  destruction,  as 
in  later  days  it  was  the  cause  of  the  slaying  of  the  Halakazi, 
was  the  beauty  of  Nada  and  nothing  else,  for  the  fame  of  her 
loveliness  had  gone  about  the  land,  and  the  old  chief  of  the 
Halakazi  had  commanded  that  the  girl  should  be  sent  to 
his  kraal  to  live  there,  that  her  beauty  might  shine  upon 
his  place  like  the  sun,  and  that,  if  so  she  willed,  she  should 
choose  a  husband  from  among  the  great  men  of  the  Hala¬ 
kazi.  But  the  headmen  of  the  kraal  refused,  for  none  who 
had  looked  on  her  would  suffer  their  eyes  to  lose  sight  of 
Kada  the  Lily,  though  there  was  this  fate  about  the  maid 
that  none  strove  to  wed  her  against  her  will.  Many,  indeed, 
asked  her  in  marriage,  both  there  and  among  the  Halakazi 
people,  but  ever  she  shook  her  head  and  said,  “Nay,  I 
would  wed  no  man,”  and  it  was  enough. 

For  it  was  the  saying  among  men,  that  it  was  better  that 
she  should  remain  unmarried,  and  all  should  look  on  her, 
than  that  she  should  pass  from  their  sight  into  the  house  of 
a  husband ;  since  they  held  that  her  beauty  was  given  to  be 
a  joy  to  all,  like  the  beauty  of  the  dawn  and  of  the  evening. 
Yet  this  beauty  of  Nada’s  was  a  dreadful  thing,  and  the 
mother  of  much  death,  as  shall  be  told ;  and  because  of  her 
beauty  and  the  great  love  she  bore,  she,  the  Lily  herself, 
must  wither,  and  the  cup  of  my  sorrows  must  be  filled  to 
overflowing,  and  the  heart  of  Umslopogaas  the  Slaughterer, 
son  of  Chaka  the  king,  must  become  desolate  as  the  black 
plain  when  the  fire  has  swept  it.  So  it  was  ordained,  my 
father,  and  so  it  befell,  seeing  that  thus  all  men,  white  and 


MOPO  GOES  TO  SEEK  THE  SLAUGHTERER  181 


black,  seek  that  which  is  beautiful,  and  when  at  last  they 
find  it,  then  it  passes  swiftly  away,  or,  perchance,  it  is  their 
death.  For  great  joy  and  great  beauty  are  winged,  nor  will 
they  sojourn  long  upon  the  earth.  They  come  down  like 
eagles  out  of  the  sky,  and  into  the  sky  they  return  again 
swiftly. 

Thus  then  it  came  about,  my  father,  that  I,  Mopo,  be¬ 
lieving  my  daughter  Nada  to  be  dead,  little  guessed  that 
it  was  she  who  was  named  the  Lily  in  the  kraals  of  the 
ITalakazi,  and  whom  Dingaan  the  king  desired  for  a  wife. 

Now  after  I  had  thwarted  him  in  this  matter  of  the  send¬ 
ing  of  an  impi  to  pluck  the  Lily  from  the  gardens  of  the 
ITalakazi,  Dingaan  learned  to  hate  me.  Also  I  was  in  his 
secrets,  and  with  me  he  had  killed  his  brother  Chaka  and 
his  brother  Umhlangana,  and  it  was  I  who  held  him  back 
from  the  slaying  of  his  brother  Panda  also ;  and,  there¬ 
fore,  he  hated  me,  as  is  the  fashion  of  small-hearted  men 
with  those  who  have  lifted  them  up.  Yet  he  did  not  dare 
to  do  away  with  me,  for  my  voice  was  loud  in  the  land,  and 
when  I  spoke  the  people  listened.  Therefore,  in  the  end, 
he  cast  about  for  some  way  to  be  rid  of  me  for  a  while,  till 
he  should  grow  strong  enough  to  kill  me. 

“Mopo,”  said  the  king  to  me  one  day  as  I  sat  before 
him  in  council  with  others  of  the  indunas  and  generals, 
“  mindest  thou  of  the  last  words  of  the  Great  Elephant, 
who  is  dead  ?  ”  This  he  said  meaning  Chaka  his  brother, 
only  he  did  not  name  him,  for  now  the  name  of  Chaka  was 
hlonipa  in  the  land,  as  is  the  custom  with  the  names  of  dead 
kings — that  is,  my  father,  it  was  not  lawful  that  it  should 
pass  the  lips. 

“I  remember  the  words,  0  King,”  I  answered.  “They 
were  ominous  words,  for  this  was  their  burden  :  that  you 
and  your  house  should  not  sit  long  in  the  throne  of  kings, 
but  that  the  white  men  should  take  away  your  royalty  and 
divide  your  territories.  Such  was  the  prophecy  of  the  Lion 
of  the  Zulu,  why  speak  of  it  ?  Once  before  I  heard  him 
prophesy,  and  his  words  were  fulfilled.  May  the  omen  be 
an  egg  without  meat;  may  it  never  become  fledged;  may 
that  bird  never  perch  upon  your  roof,  0  King  !” 


lS2 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  Dingaan  trembled  with  fear,  for  the  words  of 
Chaka  were  in  his  mind  by  night  and  by  day ;  then  he 
grew  angry  and  bit  his  lip,  saying  : — 

“Thou  fool,  Mopo !  canst  thou  not  hear  a  raven  croak  at 
the  gates  of  a  kraal  but  thou  must  needs  go  tell  those  who 
dwell  within  that  he  waits  to  pick  their  eyes  ?  Such  criers 
of  ill  to  come  may  well  find  ill  at  hand,  Mopo.”  He 
ceased,  looked  on  me  threateningly  awhile,  and  went  on  : 
“I  did  not  speak  of  those  words  rolling  by  chance  from 
a  tongue  half  loosed  by  death,  but  of  others  that  told  of 
a  certain  Bulalio,  of  a  Slaughterer  who  rules  the  People 
of  the  Axe  and  dwells  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Ghost 
Mountain  far  away  to  the  north  yonder.  Surely  I  heard 
them  all  as  I  sat  beneath  the  shade  of  the  reed-fence  before 
ever  I  came  to  save  him  who  was  my  brother  from  the 
spear  of  Masilo,  the  murderer,  whose  spear  stole  away  the 
life  of  a  king  ?  ” 

“  I  remember  those  words  also,  0  King !  ”  I  said.  “  Is  it  the 
will  of  the  king  that  an  impi  should  be  gathered  to  eat  up 
this  upstart  ?  Such  was  the  command  of  one  who  is  gone, 
given,  as  it  were,  with  his  last  breath.” 

“Kay,  Mopo,  that  is  not  my  will.  If  no  impi  can  be 
found  by  thee  to  wipe  away  the  Halakazi  and  bring  one 
whom  I  desire  to  delight  my  eyes,  then  surely  none  can  be 
found  to  eat  up  this  Slaughterer  and  his  people.  Moreover, 
Bulalio,  chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  has  not  offended 
against  me,  but  against  an  elephant  whose  trumpetings  are 
done.  Now  this  is  my  will,  Mopo,  my  servant :  that  thou 
shouldst  take  with  thee  a  few  men  only  and  go  gently  to  this 
Bulalio,  and  say  to  him  :  ‘ A  greater  Elephant  stalks  through 
the  land  than  he  who  has  gone  to  sleep,  and  it  has  come  to  his 
ears — that  thou,  Chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  dost  pay 
no  tribute,  and  hast  said  that,  because  of  the  death  of  a  cer¬ 
tain  Mopo,  thou  wilt  have  nothing  to  do  with  him  whose 
shadow  lies  upon  the  land.  Now  one  Mopo  is  sent  to 
thee,  Slaughterer,  to  know  if  this  tale  is  true,  for,  if 
it  be  true,  then  shalt  thou  learn  the  weight  of  the  hoof 
of  that  Elephant  who  trumpets  in  the  kraal  Umgugun- 
dhlovu.  Think,  then,  and  weigh  thy  words  before  thou  dost 
answer,  Slaughterer.*  ” 


MOPO  GOES  TO  SEEK  THE  SLAUGHTERER  183 


Now  I,  Mopo,  heard  the  commands  of  the  king  and 
pondered  them  in  my  mind,  for  I  knew  well  that  it  was 
the  design  of  Dingaan  to  be  rid  of  me  for  a  space  that  he 
might  find  time  to  plot  my  overthrow,  and  that  he  cared 
little  for  this  matter  of  a  petty  chief,  who,  living  far  away, 
had  dared  to  defy  Chaka.  Yet  I  wished  to  go,  for  there 
had  arisen  in  me  a  great  desire  to  see  this  Bulalio,  who 
spoke  of  vengeance  to  be  taken  for  one  Mopo,  and  whose 
deeds  were  such  as  the  deeds  of  Umslopogaas  would  have 
been,  had  Umslopogaas  lived  to  look  upon  the  light.  There¬ 
fore  I  answered : — 

“  I  hear  the  king.  The  king’s  word  shall  be  done,  though, 
0  King,  thou  sendest  a  big  man  upon  a  little  errand.” 

“Not  so,  Mopo,”  answered  Dingaan.  “My  heart  tells 
me  that  this  chicken  of  a  Slaughterer  will  grow  to  a  great 
cock  if  his  comb  is  not  cut  presently ;  and  thou,  Mopo, 
art  versed  in  cutting  combs,  even  of  the  tallest.” 

“  I  hear  the  king,”  I  answered  again. 

So,  my  father,  it  came  about  that  on  the  morrow,  taking 
with  me  but  ten  chosen  men,  I,  Mopo,  started  on  my 
journey  towards  the  Ghost  Mountain,  and  as  I  journeyed  I 
thought  much  of  how  I  had  trod  that  path  in  bygone  days. 
Then,  Macropha,  my  wife,  and  Nada,  my  daughter,  and  Um¬ 
slopogaas,  the  son  of  Chaka,  who  was  thought  to  be  my 
son,  walked  at  my  side.  Now,  as  I  imagined,  all  were  dead 
and  I  walked  alone ;  doubtless  I  also  should  soon  be  dead. 
Well,  people  lived  few  days  and  evil  in  those  times,  and 
what  did  it  matter  ?  At  the  least  I  had  wreaked  vengeance 
on  Chaka  and  satisfied  my  heart. 

At  length  I  came  one  night  to  that  lonely  spot  where  we 
had  camped  in  the  evil  hour  when  Umslopogaas  was  borne 
away  by  the  lioness,  and  once  more  I  looked  upon  the  cave 
whence  he  had  dragged  the  cub,  and  upon  the  awful  face 
of  the  stone  Witch  who  sits  aloft  upon  the  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain  forever  and  forever.  I  could  sleep  little  that  night, 
because  of  the  sorrow  at  my  heart,  but  sat  awake  look¬ 
ing,  in  the  brightness  of  the  moon,  upon  the  grey  face  of 
the  stone  Witch,  and  on  the  depths  of  the  forest  that  grew 


184 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


about  her  knees,  wondering  the  while  if  the  s.bones  of 
Umslopogaas  lay  broken  in  that  forest.  Now  as  I  jour¬ 
neyed,  many  tales  had  been  told  to  me  of  this  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain,  which  all  swore  was  haunted,  so  said  some,  by  men  in 
the  shape  of  wolves ;  and,  so  said  some,  by  the  Esemkofu — 
that  is,  by  men  who  have  died  and  who  have  been  brought 
back  again  by  magic.  They  have  no  tongues,  the  Esemkofu, 
for  had  they  tongues  they  would  cry  aloud  to  mortals  the 
awful  secrets  of  the  dead,  therefore,  they  can  but  utter  a 
wailing  like  that  of  a  babe.  Surely  one  may  hear  them  in 
the  forests  at  night  as  they  wail  “Ai- — ah!  Ai — ah!”  among 
the  silent  trees ! 

You  laugh,  my  father,  but  I  did  not  laugh  as  I  thought 
of  these  tales ;  for,  if  men  have  spirits,  where  do  the  spirits 
go  when  the  body  is  dead  ?  They  must  go  somewhere,  and 
would  it  be  strange  that  they  should  return  to  look  upon 
the  lands  where  they  were  born  ?  Yet  I  never  thought 
much  of  such  matters,  though  I  am  a  doctor,  and  know 
something  of  the  ways  of  the  Amatongo,  the  people  of 
the  ghosts.  To  speak  truth,  my  father,  I  have  had  so 
much  to  do  with  the  loosing  of  the  spirits  of  men  that  I 
never  troubled  myself  overmuch  with  them  after  they  were 
loosed ;  there  will  be  time  to  do  this  when  I  myself  am  of 
their  number. 

So  I  sat  and  gazed  on  the  mountain  and  the  forest  that 
grew  over  it  like  hair  on  the  head  of  a  woman,  and  as  I 
gazed  I  heard  a  sound  that  came  from  far  away,  out  of  the 
heart  of  the  forest  as  it  seemed.  At  first  it  was  faint  and  far 
off,  a  distant  thing  like  the  cry  of  children  in  a  kraal  across 
a  \  alley  ;  then  it  grew  louder,  but  still  I  could  not  say  what 
it  might  be;  now  it  swelled  and  swelled,  and  I  knew  it— it 
was  the  sound  of  wild  beasts  at  chase.  Nearer  came  the 
music,  the  rocks  rang  with  it,  and  its  voice  set  the  blood  beat¬ 
ing  but  to  hearken  to  it.  That  pack  was  great  which  ran 
a-hunting  through  the  silent  night ;  and  now  it  was  nigh, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  slope  only,  and  the  sound  swelled 
so  loud  that  those  who  were  with  me  awoke  also  and  looked 
forth.  Now  of  a  sudden  a  great  koodoo  bull  appeared  for 
an  instant  standing  out  against  the  sky  on  the  crest  of  the 


MOPO  REVEALS  HIMSELF 


185 

ridge,  then  vanished  in  the  shadow.  He  was  running  tow¬ 
ards  us  ;  presently  we  saw  him  again  speeding  on  his  path 
with  great  bounds.  We  saw  this  also — forms  grey  and 
gaunt  and  galloping,  in  number  countless,  that  leaped  along 
upon  his  path,  appearing  on  the  crest  of  the  rise,  disappear¬ 
ing  into  the  shadow,  seen  again  on  the  slope,  lost  in  the 
valley ;  and  with  them  two  other  shapes,  the  shapes  of  men. 

Now  the  big  buck  bounded  past  us  not  half  a  spear’s  throw 
away,  and  behind  him  streamed  the  countless  wolves,  and 
from  the  throats  of  the  wolves  went  up  that  awful  music. 
And  who  were  these  two  that  came  with  the  wolves,  shapes 
of  men  great  and  strong  ?  They  ran  silently  and  swift, 
wolves’  teeth  gleamed  upon  their  heads,  wolves’  hides  hung 
about  their  shoulders.  In  the  hand  of  one  was  an  axe — the 
moonlight  shone  upon  it — in  the  hand  of  the  other  a  heavy 
club.  Neck  and  neck  they  ran  ;  never  before  had  we  seen 
men  travel  so  fast.  See !  they  sped  down  the  slope  toward 
us ;  the  wolves  were  left  behind,  all  except  four  of  them ; 
we  heard  the  beating  of  their  feet ;  they  came,  they  passed, 
they  were  gone,  and  with  them  their  unnumbered  company. 
The  music  grew  faint,  it  died,  it  was  dead ;  the  hunt  was 
far  away,  the  night  was  still  again ! 

“  Now,  my  brethren,”  I  asked  of  those  who  were  with  me, 
“  what  is  this  that  we  have  seen  ?  ” 

Then  one  answered,  “We  have  seen  the  Ghosts  who  live 
in  the  lap  of  the  old  Witch,  and  those  men  are  the  Wolf- 
Brethren,  the  wizards  who  are  kings  of  the  Ghosts.” 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

MOPO  REVEALS  HIMSELF  TO  THE  SLAUGHTERER. 

All  that  night  we  watched,  but  we  neither  saw  nor  heard 
any  more  of  the  wolves,  nor  of  the  men  who  hunted  with 
them.  On  the  morrow,  at  dawn,  I  sent  a  runner  to  Bulalio, 
chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  saying  that  a  messenger 
came  to  him  from  Dingaan,  the  king,  who  desired  to  speak 


1 86 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


with  him  in  peace  within  the  gates  of  his  kraal.  I  charged 
the  messenger,  however,  that  he  should  not  tell  my  name 
but  should  say  only  that  it  was  “  Mouth  of  Dingaan.” 
Then  I  and  those  with  me  followed  slowly  on  the  path  of 
the  man  whom  I  sent  forward,  for  the  way  was  still  far 
and  I  had  bidden  him  return  and  meet  me  bearing  the 
words  of  the  Slaughterer,  Holder  of  the  Axe. 

All  that  day  till  the  sun  grew  low  we  walked  round  the 
base  of  the  great  Ghost  Mountain,  following  the  line  of  the 
river.  We  met  no  one,  but  once  we  came  to  the  ruins  of  a 
kraal,  and  in  it  lay  the  broken  bones  of  many  men,  and 
with  the  bones  rusty  assegais  and  the  remains  of  ox-hide 
shields,  black  and  white  in  colour.  How  I  examined  the 
shields,  and  knew  from  their  colour  that  they  had  been  car¬ 
ried  in  the  hands  of  those  soldiers  who,  years  ago,  were 
sent  out  by  Chaka  to  seek  for  Umslopogaas,  but  who  had 
returned  no  more. 

“Now,”  I  said,  “it  has  fared  ill  with  those  soldiers  of  the 
Black  One  who  is  gone,  for  I  think  that  these  are  the  shields 
they  bore,  and  that  their  eyes  once  looked  upon  the  world 
through  the  holes  in  yonder  skulls.” 

“  These  are  the  shields  they  bore,  and  those  are  the  skulls 
they  wore,”  answered  one.  “  See,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama, 
this  is  no  man’s  work  that  has  brought  them  to  their  death. 
Men  do  not  break  the  bones  of  their  foes  in  pieces  as  these 
bones  are  broken.  Woiv !  men  do  not  break  them,  but 
wolves  do,  and  last  night  we  saw  wolves  a-hunting;  nor 
did  they  hunt  alone,  Mopo.  Wow !  this  is  a  haunted  land  !  ” 

Then  we  went  on  in  silence,  and  all  the  way  the  stone 
face  of  the  Witch  who  sits  aloft  forever  stared  down  on  us 
from  the  mountain  top.  At  length,  an  hour  before  sun¬ 
down,  we  came  to  the  open  lands,  and  there,  on  the  crest 
of  a  rise  beyond  the  river,  we  saw  the  kraal  of  the  People 
of  the  Axe.  It  was  a  great  kraal  and  well  built,  and  their 
cattle  were  spread  about  the  plains  like  to  herds  of  game 
for  number.  We  went  to  the  river  and  passed  it  by  the 
ford,  then  sat  down  and  waited,  till  presently  I  saw  the 
man  whom  I  had  sent  forward  returning  towards  us.  He 
came  and  saluted  me,  and  I  asked  him  for  news. 


MOPO  REVEALS  HIMSELF 


187 


“  This  is  my  news,  Mopo,”  he  said :  “  I  have  seen  him 
who  is  named  Bulalio,  and  he  is  a  great  man — long  and 
lean,  with  a  fierce  face,  and  carrying  a  mighty  axe,  such  an 
axe  as  he  bore  last  night  who  hunted  with  the  wolves. 
When  I  had  been  led  before  the  chief  I  saluted  him  and 
spoke  to  him — the  words  you  laid  upon  my  tongue  I  told 
to  him.  He  listened,  then  laughed  aloud,  and  said:  ‘Tell 
him  who  sent  you  that  the  mouth  of  Dingaan  shall  be  wel¬ 
come,  and  shall  speak  the  words  of  Dingaan  in  peace ;  yet 
I  would  that  it  were  the  head  of  Dingaan  that  came,  and 
not  his  mouth  only,  for  then  Axe  Groan-Maker  should  join 
in  our  talk — ay,  because  of  one  Mopo,  whom  his  brother 
Chaka  murdered,  it  would  also  speak  with  Dingaan.  Still, 
the  mouth  is  not  the  head,  so  the  mouth  may  come  in 
peace.’  ” 

Now  I  started  when  for  the  second  time  I  heard  talk  of 
one  Mopo,  whose  name  had  been  on  the  lips  of  Bulalio 
the  Slaughterer.  Who  was  there  that  would  thus  have 
loved  Mopo  except  one  who  was  long  dead  ?  And  yet,  per¬ 
haps  the  chief  spoke  of  some  other  Mopo,  for  the  name  was 
not  my  own  only — in  truth,  Chaka  had  killed  a  chief  of 
that  name  at  the  great  mourning,  because  he  said  that  two 
Mopos  in  the  land  were  one  too  many,  and  that  though 
this  Mopo  wept  sorely  when  the  tears  of  others  were  dry. 
So  I  said  only  that  this  Bulalio  had  a  high  stomach,  and 
we  went  on  to  the  gates  of  the  kraal. 

There  were  none  to  meet  us  at  the  gates,  and  none  stood 
by  the  doors  of  the  huts  within  them,  but  beyond,  from  the 
cattle  kraal  that  was  in  the  centre  of  the  huts,  rose  a  dust 
and  a  din  as  of  men  gathering  for  war.  Now  some  of  those 
with  me  were  afraid,  and  would  have  turned  back,  fearing 
treachery,  and  they  were  yet  more  afraid  when,  on  coming 
to  the  inner  entrance  of  the  cattle  kraal,  we  saw  some  five 
hundred  soldiers  being  mustered  there  company  by  com¬ 
pany,  by  two  great  men,  who  ran  up  and  down  the  ranks 
shouting. 

But  I  cried,  “Nay!  nay!  Turn  not  back!  Bold  looks 
melt  the  hearts  of  foes.  Moreover,  if  this  Bulalio  would 
have  murdered  us,  there  was  no  need  for  him  to  call  up  so 


i88 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


many  of  his  warriors.  He  is  a  proud  chief,  and  would  show 
his  might,  not  knowing  that  the  king  we  serve  can  mus¬ 
ter  a  company  for  every  man  he  has.  Let  us  go  on  boldly.” 

So  we  walked  forward  towards  the  impi  that  was  gath¬ 
ered  on  the  further  side  of  the  kraal.  How  the  two  great 
men  who  were  marshalling  the  soldiers  saw  us,  and  came  to 
meet  us,  one  following  the  other.  He  who  came  first  bore 
the  axe  upon  his  shoulder,  and  he  who  followed  swung  a 
huge  club.  I  looked  upon  the  foremost  of  them,  and  ah  ! 
my  father,  my  heart  grew  faint  with  joy,  for  I  knew 
him  across  the  years.  It  was  Umslopogaas  !  my  fosterling, 
Umslopogaas  !  and  none  other,  now  grown  into  manhood — 
ay,  into  such  a  man  as  was  not  to  be  found  beside  him  in 
Zululand.  He  was  great  and  fierce,  somewhat  spare  in 
frame,  but  wide  shouldered  and  shallow  flanked.  His  arms 
were  long  and  not  over  big,  but  the  muscles  stood  out  on 
them  like  knots  in  a  rope  ;  his  legs  were  long  also,  and  very 
thick  beneath  the  knee.  His  eye  was  like  an  eagle’s,  his 
nose  somewhat  hooked,  and  he  held  his  head  a  little  for¬ 
ward,  as  a  man  who  searches  continually  for  a  hidden  foe. 
He  seemed  to  walk  slowly,  and  yet  he  came  swiftly,  but 
with  a  gliding  movement  like  that  of  a  wolf  or  a  lion,  and 
always  his  fingers  played  round  the  horn  handle  of  the  axe 
Groan-Maker.  As  for  him  who  followed,  he  was  great  also, 
shorter  than  Umslopogaas  by  the  half  of  a  head,  but  of  a 
sturdier  build.  His  eyes  were  small,  and  twinkled  unceas¬ 
ingly  like  little  stars,  and  his  look  was  very  wild,  for  now 
and  again  he  grinned,  showing  his  white  teeth. 

When  I  saw  Umslopogaas,  my  father,  my  bowels  melted 
within  me,  and  I  longed  to  run  to  him  and  throw  my¬ 
self  upon  his  neck.  Yet  I  took  council  with  myself  and 
did  not — nay,  I  dropped  the  corner  of  the  kaross  I  wore 
over  my  eyes,  hiding  my  face  lest  he  should  know  me. 
Presently  he  stood  before  me,  searching  me  out  with  his 
keen  eyes,  for  I  drew  forward  to  greet  him. 

“  Greeting,  Mouth  of  Dingaan  !  ”  he  said  in  a  loud  voice. 
“  You  are  a  little  man  to  be  the  mouth  of  so  big  a  chief.” 

“  The  mouth  is  a  little  member,  even  of  the  body  of  a 
great  king,  0  Chief  Bulalio,  ruler  of  the  People  of  the 


MOPO  REVEALS  HIMSELF 


189 

Axe,  wizard  of  tlie  wolves  that  are  upon  the  Ghost 
Mountain,  who  aforetime  was  named  Umslopogaas,  son  of 
Mopo,  son  of  Makedama.” 

Now  when  Umslopogaas  heard  these  words  he  started 
like  a  child  at  a  rustling  in  the  dark  and  stared  hard  at  me. 

“You  are  well  instructed,”  he  said. 

“  The  ears  of  the  king  are  large,  if  his  mouth  be  small, 
0  Chief  Bulalio,”  I  answered,  “and  I,  who  am  but  the 
mouth,  speak  what  the  ears  have  heard.” 

“How  know  you  that  I  have  dwelt  with  the  wolves  upon 
the  Ghost  Mountain,  0  Mouth  ?  ”  he  asked. 

“The  eyes  of  the  king  see  far,  0  Chief  Bulalio.  Thus 
last  night  they  saw  a  great  chase  and  a  merry.  It  seems 
that  they  saw  a  koodoo  bull  running  at  speed,  and  after 
him  countless  wolves  making  their  music,  and  with  the 
wolves  two  men  clad  in  wolves’  skins,  such  men  as  you, 
Bulalio,  and  he  with  the  club  who  follows  you.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  lifted  the  axe  Groan-Maker  as  though 
he  would  cut  me  down,  then  let  it  fall  again,  while  Galazi 
the  Wolf  glared  at  me  with  wide-opened  eyes. 

“How  know  you  that  once  I  was  named  Umslopogaas, 
who  have  lost  that  name  these  many  days  ?  Speak,  O 
Mouth,  lest  I  kill  you.” 

“Slay  if  you  will,  Umslopogaas,”  I  answered,  “but  know 
that  when  the  brains  are  scattered  the  mouth  is  dumb.  He 
who  scatters  brains  loses  wisdom.” 

“  Answer !  ”  he  said. 

“  I  answer  not.  Who  are  you  that  I  should  answer  you  ? 
I  know  ;  it  is  enough.  To  my  business.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  ground  his  teeth  in  anger.  “I  am  not 
wont  to  be  thwarted  here  in  my  own  kraal,”  he  said;  “but 
to  your  business.  Speak  it,  little  Mouth.” 

“  This  is  my  business,  little  Chief.  When  the  Black  One 
who  is  gone  yet  lived,  you  sent  him  a  message  by  one 
Masilo — such  a  message  as  his  ears  had  never  heard,  and 
that  had  been  your  death,  0  fool  puffed  up  with  pride,  but 
death  came  first  upon  the  Black  One,  and  his  hand  was 
stayed.  Now  Dingaan,  whose  shadow  lies  upon  the  land, 
the  king  whom  I  serve,  and  who  sits  in  the  place  of  the 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


190 

Black  One  who  is  gone,  speaks  to  you  by  me,  his  mouth. 
He  would  know  this  :  if  it  is  true  that  you  refuse  to  own 
his  sovereignty,  to  pay  tribute  to  him  in  men  and  maids  and 
cattle,  and  to  serve  him  in  his  wars  ?  Answer,  you  little 
headman  ! — answer  in  few  words  and  short !” 

Now  Umslopogaas  gasped  for  breath  in  his  rage,  and 
again  he  fingered  the  great  axe.  “  It  is  well  for  you,  0 
Mouth,”  he  said,  “that  I  swore  safe  conduct  to  you,  else 
you  had  not  gone  hence — else  had  you -been  served  as  I 
served  certain  soldiers  who  in  bygone  years  were  sent  to 
search  out  one  Umslopogaas.  Yet  I  answer  you  in  few 
words  and  short.  Look  on  those  spears — they  are  but  a 
fourth  part  of  the  number  I  can  muster :  that  is  my 
answer.  Look  now  on  yonder  mountain,  the  mountain  of 
ghosts  and  wolves — unknown,  impassable,  save  to  me  and 
one  other:  that  is  my  answer.  Spears  and  mountain  shall 
come  together — the  mountain  shall  be  alive  with  spears 
and  with  the  fangs  of  beasts.  Let  Dingaan  seek  his  tribute 
there  !  I  have  spoken !  ” 

Now  I  laughed  shrilly,  desiring  to  try  the  heart  of  Um¬ 
slopogaas,  my  fosterling,  yet  further. 

“Fool!”’ I  said,  “Boy  with  the  brain  of  a  monkey,  for 
every  spear  you  have  Dingaan,  whom  I  serve,  can  send 
a  hundred,  and  your  mountain  shall  be  stamped  flat ;  and 
for  your  ghosts  and  your  wolves,  see,  with  the  mouth 
of  Dingaan  I  spit  upon  them!”  and  I  spat  upon  the 
ground. 

Now  Umslopogaas  shook  in  his  rage,  and  the  great  axe 
glimmered  as  he  shook.  He  turned  to  the  captain  who 
was  behind  him,  and  said:  “Say,  Galazi  the  Wolf,  shall 
we  kill  this  man  and  those  with  him  ?  ” 

“Nay,”  answered  the  Wolf,  grinning,  “do  not  kill  them ; 
you  have  given  them  safe  conduct.  Moreover,  let  them  go 
back  to  their  dog  of  a  king,  that  he  may  send  out  his 
puppies  to  do  battle  with  our  wolves.  It  will  be  a  pretty 
fight.” 

“Get  you  gone,  0  Mouth,”  said  Umslopogaas;  “  get  you 
gone  swiftly,  lest  mischief  befall  you  !  Without  my  gates 
you  shall  find  food  to  satisfy  your  hunger.  Eat  of  it 


MOPO  REVEALS  HIMSELF 


191 

and.  begone,  for  if  to-morrow  at  the  noon  you  are  found 
within  a  spear’s  throw  of  this  kraal,  you  and  those  with 
you  shall  bide  there  forever,  0  Mouth  of  Dingaan  the 
king !  ” 

Now  I  made  as  though  I  would  depart,  then,  turning 
suddenly,  I  spoke  once  more,  saying : — 

“  There  were  words  in  your  message  to  the  Black  One 
who  is  dead  of  a  certain  man — nay,  how  was  he  named  ? 
— of  a  certain  Mopo.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  started  as  one  starts  who  is  wounded 
by  a  spear,  and  stared  at  me. 

u  Mopo !  What  of  Mopo,  0  Mouth,  whose  eyes  are 
veiled  ?  Mopo  is  dead,  whose  son  I  was  !  ” 

“Ah!”  I  said,  “yes,  Mopo  is  dead — that  is,  the  Black 
One  who  is  gone  killed  a  certain  Mopo.  How  came  it, 
0  Bulalio,  that  you  were  his  son  ?  ” 

“Mopo  is  dead,”  quoth  Umslopogaas  again;  “he  is  dead 
with  all  his  house,  his  kraal  is  stamped  flat,  and  that  is  why 
I  hated  the  Black  One,  and  therefore  I  hate  Dingaan,  his 
brother,  and  will  be  as  are  Mopo  and  the  house  of  Mopo 
before  I  pay  him  tribute  of  a  single  ox.” 

All  this  while  I  had  spoken  to  Umslopogaas  in  a  feigned 
voice,  my  father,  but  now  I  spoke  again  and  in  my  own 
voice,  saying: — 

“So!  Now  you  speak  from  your  heart,  young  man,  and 
by  digging  I  have  reached  the  root  of  the  matter.  It  is 
because  of  this  dead  dog  of  a  Mopo  that  you  defy  the 
king.” 

Umslopogaas  heard  the  voice,  and  trembled  no  more  with 
anger,  but  rather  with  fear  and  wonder.  He  looked  at 
me  hard,  answering  nothing. 

“Have  you  a  hut  near  by,  0  Chief  Bulalio,  foe  of  Din¬ 
gaan  the  king,  where  I,  the  mouth  of  the  king,  may  speak 
with  you  a  while  apart,  for  I  would  learn  your  message 
word  by  word  that  I  may  deliver  it  without  fault.  Fear 
not,  Slaughterer,  to  sit  alone  with  me  in  an  empty  hut !  I 
am  unarmed  and  old,  and  there  is  that  in  your  hand  which 
I  should  fear,”  and  I  pointed  to  the  axe. 

Now  Umslopogaas,  still  shaking  in  his  limbs,  answered, 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


192 

“ Follow  me,  0  Mouth,  and  you,  Galazi,  stay  with  these 
men.” 

So  I  followed.  Umslopogaas,  and  presently  we  came  to  a 
large  hut.  He  pointed  to  the  doorway,  and  I  crept  through 
it  and  he  followed  after  me.  How  for  a  while  it  seemed 
dark  in  the  hut,  for  the  sun  was  sinking  without  and  the 
place  was  full  of  shadow ;  so  I  waited  while  a  man  might 
count  fifty,  till  our  eyes  could  search  the  darkness.  Then 
of  a  sudden  I  threw  the  blanket  from  my  face  and  looked 
into  the  eyes  of  Umslopogaas. 

“  Look  on  me  now,  0  Chief  Bulalio,  0  Slaughterer, 
who  once  was  named  Umslopogaas — look  on  me  and 
say  who  am  I?”  Then  he  looked  at  me  and  his  jaw 
fell. 

“  Either  you  are  Mopo  my  father  grown  old — Mopo,  who 
is  dead,  or  the  Ghost  of  Mopo,”  he  answered  in  a  low  voice. 

“I  am  Mopo,  your  father,  Umslopogaas,”  I  said.  “  You 
have  been  long  in  knowing  me,  who  knew  you  from  the 
first.” 

Then  Umslopogaas  cried  aloud,  but  yet  softly,  and,  letting 
fall  the  axe  Groan-Maker,  he  flung  himself  upon  my  breast 
and  wept  there.  And  I  wept  also. 

“  Oh  !  my  father,”  he  said,  “  I  thought  that  you  were  dead 
with  the  others,  and  now  you  have  come  back  to  me,  and  I, 
I  would  have  lifted  the  axe  against  you  in  my  folly.  Oh,  it 
is  well  that  I  have  lived,  and  not  died,  since  once  more  I 
look  upon  your  face — the  face  that  I  thought  dead,  but 
which  yet  lives,  though  it  be  sorely  changed,  as  though  by 
grief  and  years.” 

“ Peace,  Umslopogaas,  my  son,”  I  said.  “I  also  deemed 
you  dead  in  the  lion’s  mouth,  though  in  truth  it  seemed 
strange  to  me  that  any  other  man  than  Umslopogaas  could 
have  wrought  the  deeds  which  I  have  heard  of  as  done  by 
Bulalio,  Chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe — ay,  and  thrown 
defiance  in  the  teeth  of  Cliaka.  But  you  are  not  dead,  and 
I,  I  am  not  dead.  It  was  another  Mopo  whom  Cliaka  killed  ; 
I  slew  Chaka,  Chaka  did  not  slay  me.” 

“  And  of  Nada,  what  of  iSTada,  my  sister  ?  ”  he  said. 

“  Macropha,  your  mother,  and  Nada,  your  sister,  are  dead, 


‘  O,  my  father,  I  thought  you  dead.’ 


% 


MOPO  PE  VEALS  HIMSELF 


193 


Umslopogaas.  They  are  dead  at  the  hands  of  the  people 
of  the  Halakazi,  who  dwell  in  Swaziland.” 

“  I  have  heard  of  that  people,”  he  answered  presently, 
“and  so  has  Galazi  the  Wolf,  yonder.  He  has  a  hate  to 
satisfy  against  them — they  murdered  his  father;  now  I 
have  two,  for  they  have  murdered  my  mother  and  my  sister. 
Ah,  Nada,  my  sister!  Nada,  my  sister!”  and  the  great 
man  covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  and  rocked  himself  to 
and  fro  in  his  grief. 

Now,  my  father,  it  came  into  my  thoughts  to  make  the 
truth  plain  to  Umslopogaas,  and  tell  him  that  Nada  was  no 
sister  of  his,  and  that  he  was  no  son  of  mine,  but  rather  of 
that  Chaka  whom  my  hand  had  finished.  And  yet  I  did  not, 
though  now  I  would  that  I  had  done  so.  For  I  saw  well  how 
great  was  the  pride  and  how  high  was  the  heart  of  Umslo¬ 
pogaas,  and  I  saw  also  that  if  once  he  should  learn  that 
the  throne  of  Zululand  was  his  by  right,  nothing  could 
hold  him  back,  for  he  would  swiftly  break  into  open  rebel¬ 
lion  against  Dingaan  the  king,  and  in  my  judgment  the 
time  was  not  ripe  for  that.  Had  I  known,  indeed,  but  one 
short  year  before  that  Umslopogaas  still  lived,  he  had  sat 
where  Dingaan  sat  this  day;  but  I  lid  not  know  it,  and  the 
chance  had  gone  by  for  a  while.  Now  Dingaan  was  king 
and  mustered  many  regiments  round  him,  for  I  had  held 
him  back  from  war,  as  in  the  case  of  the  raid  that  he 
wished  to  make  upon  the  Swazis.  The  chance  had  gone 
by,  but  it  would  come  again,  and  till  it  came  I  must  say 
nothing.  I  would  do  this  rather,  I  would  bring  Dingaan  and 
Umslopogaas  together,  that  Umslopogaas  might  become 
known  in  the  land  as  a  great  chief  and  the  first  of  warriors. 
Then  I  would  cause  him  to  be  advanced  to  be  an  induna, 
and  a  general  to  lead  the  impis  of  the  king,  for  he  who 
leads  the  impis  is  already  half  a  king. 

So  I  held  my  peace  upon  this  matter,  but  till  the  dawn 
was  grey  Umslopogaas  and  I  sat  together  and  talked,  each 
telling  the  tale  of  those  years  that  had  gone  since  he  was 
borne  from  me  in  the  lion’s  mouth.  I  told  him  how  all  my 
wives  and  children  had  been  killed,  how  I  had  been  put  to 
the  torment,  and  showed  him  my  white  and  withered  hand. 

o 


i94 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


I  told  him  also  of  the  death  of  Baleka,  my  sister,  and  of  all 
my  people  of  the  Langeni,  and  of  how  I  had  revenged  m}r 
wrongs  upon  Chaka,  and  made  Dingaan  to  be  king  in  his 
place,  and  was  now  the  first  man  in  the  land  under  the 
king,  though  the  king  feared  me  much  and  loved  me  little. 
But  I  did  not  tell  him  that  Baleka,  my  sister,  was  his  own 
mother. 

When  I  had  done  my  tale,  Umslopogaas  told  me  his  :  how 
Galazi  had  rescued  him  from  the  lioness ;  how  he  became 
one  of  the  Wolf-Brethren ;  how  he  had  conquered  Jikiza 
and  the  sons  of  Jikiza,  and  become  chief  of  the  People  of 
the  Axe,  and  taken  Zinita  to  wife,  and  grown  great  in  the 
land. 

I  asked  him  how  it  came  about  that  he  still  hunted 
with  the  wolves  as  he  had  done  last  night.  He  answered 
that  now  he  was  great  and  there  was  nothing  more  to  win, 
and  at  times  a  weariness  of  life  came  upon  him,  and  then 
he  must  up,  and  together  with  Galazi  hunt  and  harry  with 
the  wolves,  for  thus  only  could  he  find  rest. 

I  said  that  I  would  show  him  better  game  to  hunt  before 
all  was  done,  and  asked  him  further  if  he  loved  his  wife. 
Zinita.  Umslopogaas  answered  that  he  would  love  her 
better  if  she  loved  him  not  so  much,  for  she  was  jealous 
and  quick  to  anger,  and  that  was  a  sorrow  to  him.  Then, 
when  he  had  slept  awhile,  he  led  me  from  the  hut,  and  I 
and  my  people  were  feasted  with  the  best,  and  I  spoke  with 
Zinita  and  with  Galazi  the  Wolf.  For  the  last,  I  liked  him 
well.  This  was  a  good  man  to  have  at  one’s  back  in  battle ; 
but  my  heart  spoke  to  me  against  Zinita.  She  was  hand¬ 
some  and  tall,  but  with  fierce  eyes  which  always  watched 
Umslopogaas,  my  fosterling;  and  I  noted  that  he  who 
was  fearless  of  all  other  things  yet  seemed  to  fear  Zinita. 
Neither  did  she  love  me,  for  when  she  saw  how  the  Slaugh¬ 
terer  clung  to  me,  as  it  were,  instantly  she  grew  jealous — 
as  already  she  was  jealous  of  Galazi — and  would  have  been 
rid  of  me  if  she  might.  Thus  it  came  about  that  my  heart 
spoke  against  Zinita;  nor  did  it  tell  me  worse  things  of 
her  than  those  which  she  was  to  do. 


THE  SLAYING  OF  THE  BOERS 


195 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  SLAYING  OF  THE  BOERS. 

On  the  morrow  I  led  Umslopogaas  apart,  and  spoke  to 
him  thus : — 

“  My  son,  yesterday,  when  you  did  not  know  me  except  as 
the  Mouth  of  Dingaan,  you  charged  me  with  a  certain  mes¬ 
sage  for  Dingaan  the  king,  that,  had  it  been  delivered  into 
the  ears  of  the  king,  had  surely  brought  death  upon  you 
and  all  your  people.  The  tree  that  stands  by  itself  on  a 
plain,  Umslopogaas,  thinks  itself  tall  and  that  there  is  no 
shade  to  equal  its  shade.  Yet  are  there  other  and  bigger 
trees.  You  are  such  a  solitary  tree,  Umslopogaas,  but  the 
topmost  branches  of  him  whom  I  serve  are  thicker  than 
your  trunk,  and  beneath  his  shadow  live  many  woodcutters, 
who  go  out  to  lop  those  that  would  grow  too  high.  You  are 
no  match  for  Dingaan,  though,  dwelling  here  alone  in  an 
empty  land,  you  have  grown  great  in  your  own  eyes  and  in 
the  eyes  of  those  about  you.  Moreover,  Umslopogaas,  know 
this :  Dingaan  already  hates  you  because  of  the  words  which 
in  bygone  years  you  sent  by  Masilo  the  fool  to  the  Black 
One  who  is  dead,  for  he  heard  those  words,  and  it  is  his 
will  to  eat  you  up.  He  has  sent  me  hither  for  one  reason 
only,  to  be  rid  of  me  awhile,  and,  whatever  the  words  I 
bring  back  to  him,  the  end  will  be  the  same — that  night 
shall  come  when  you  will  find  an  impi  at  your  gates.” 

“  Then  what  need  to  talk  more  of  the  matter,  my  father  ?  ” 
asked  Umslopogaas.  “  That  will  come  which  must  come.  Let 
me  wait  here  for  the  impi  of  Dingaan,  and  fight  till  I  die.” 

“Not  so,  Umslopogaas,  my  son  ;  there  are  more  ways  of 
killing  a  man  than  by  the  assegai,  and  a  crooked  stick  can 
still  be  bent  straight  in  the  steam.  It  is  my  desire,  Um¬ 
slopogaas,  that  instead  of  hate  Dingaan  should  give  you 
love ;  instead  of  death,  advancement ;  and  that  you  shall 
grow  great  in  his  shadow.  Listen !  Dingaan  is  not  what 
Chaka  was,  though,  like  Chaka,  he  is  cruel.  This  Dingaan 

o  2 


196 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


is  a  fool,  and  it  may  well  come  about  that  a  man  can  be 
found  who,  growing  up  in  his  shadow,  in  the  end  shall  over¬ 
shadow  him.  I  might  do  it — I  myself;  but  I  am  old, 
and,  being  worn  with  sorrow,  have  no  longing  to  rule.  But 
you  are  young,  Umslopogaas,  and  there  is  no  man  like  you 
in  the  land.  Moreover,  there  are  other  matters  of  which  it 
is  not  well  to  speak,  that  shall  serve  you  as  a  raft  whereon 
to  swim  to  power.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  glanced  up  sharply,  for  in  those  days 
he  was  ambitious,  and  desired  to  be  first  among  the  people. 
Indeed,  having  the  blood  of  Chaka  in  his  veins,  how  could 
it  be  otherwise  ? 

“  What  is  your  plan,  my  father  ?  ”  he  asked.  “  Say  how 
can  this  be  brought  about  ?  ” 

“This  and  thus,  Umslopogaas.  Among  the  tribe  of  the 
Halakazi  in  Swaziland  there  dwells  a  maid  who  is  named 
the  Lily.  She  is  a  girl  of  the  most  wonderful  beauty,  and 
Dingaan  is  afire  with  longing  to  have  her  to  wife.  Now, 
awhile  since  Dingaan  dispatched  an  embassy  to  the  chief 
of  the  Halakazi  asking  the  Lily  in  marriage,  and  the  chief 
of  the  Halakazi  sent  back  insolent  words,  saying  that  the 
Beauty  of  the  Earth  should  be  given  to  no  Zulu  dog  as  a 
wife.  Then  Dingaan  was  angry,  and  he  would  have  gath¬ 
ered  his  impis  and  sent  them  against  the  Halakazi  to  de¬ 
stroy  them,  and  bring  him  the  maid,  but  I  held  him  back 
from  it,  saying  that  now  was  no  time  to  begin  a  new  war ; 
and  it  is  for  this  cause  that  Dingaan  hates  me,  he  is  so  set 
upon  the  plucking  of  the  Swazi  Lily.  Do  you  understand 
now,  Umslopogaas  ?  ” 

“Something,”  he  answered.  “But  speak  clearly.” 

“Wow,  LTmslopogaas  !  Half  words  are  better  than  whole 
ones  in  this  land  of  ours.  Listen,  then !  This  is  my  plan  : 
that  you  should  fall  upon  the  Halakazi  tribe,  destroy  it, 
and  bring  back  the  maid  as  a  peace-offering  to  Din¬ 
gaan.” 

“  That  is  a  good  plan,  my  father,”  he  answered.  “  At  the 
least,  maid  or  no  maid,  there  will  be  fighting  in  it,  and 
cattle  to  divide  when  the  fighting  is  done.” 

“First  conquer,  then  reckon  up  the  spoils,  Umslopogaas.” 


THE  SLAYING  OF  THE  BOERS 


197 


Now  lie  thought  awhile,  then  said,  “  Suffer  that  I  sum¬ 
mon  Galazi  the  Wolf,  my  captain.  Do  not  fear,  he  is  trusty 
and  a  man  of  few  words/’ 

Presently  Galazi  came  and  sat  down  before  us.  Then  I 
put  the  matter  to  him  thus :  that  Umslopogaas  would  fall 
upon  the  Halakazi  and  bring  to  Dingaan  the  maid  he  longed 
for  as  a  peace-offering,  but  that  I  wished  to  hold  him  back 
from  the  venture  because  the  Halakazi  people  were  great 
and  strong.  I  spoke  in  this  sense  so  that  I  might  have  a 
door  to  creep  out  should  Galazi  betray  the  plot;  and  Um¬ 
slopogaas  read  my  purpose,  though  my  craft  was  needless, 
for  Galazi  was  a  true  man. 

Galazi  the  Wolf  listened  in  silence  till  I  had  finished, 
then  he  answered  quietly,  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  a  fire 
shone  in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke : — 

“  I  am  chief  by  right  of  the  Halakazi,  0  Mouth  of  Din¬ 
gaan,  and  know  them  well.  They  are  a  strong  people,  and 
can  put  two  full  regiments  under  arms,  whereas  Bulalio 
here  can  muster  but  one  regiment,  and  that  a  small  one. 
Moreover,  they  have  watchmen  out  by  night  and  day,  and 
spies  scattered  through  the  land,  so  that  it  will  be  hard  to  take 
them  unawares;  also  their  stronghold  is  a  vast  cave  open 
to  the  sky  in  the  middle,  and  none  have  won  that  strong¬ 
hold  yet,  nor  could  it  be  found  except  by  those  who  know 
its  secret.  They  are  few,  yet  I  am  one  of  them,  for  my 
father  showed  it  to  me  when  I  was  a  lad.  Therefore, 
Mouth  of  Dingaan,  you  will  know  that  this  is  no  easy  task 
which  Bulalio  would  set  himself  and  us — to  conquer  the 
Halakazi.  That  is  the  face  of  the  matter  so  far  as  it  con¬ 
cerns  Bulalio,  but  for  me,  0  Mouth,  it  has  another  face. 
Know  that,  long  years  ago,  I  swore  to  my  father  as  he  lay 
dying  by  the  poison  of  a  witch  of  this  people  that  I  would 
not  rest  till  I  had  avenged  him — ay,  till  I  had  stamped  out 
the  Halakazi,  and  slain  their  men,  and  brought  their  women 
to  the  houses  of  strangers,  and  their  children  to  bonds  ! 
Year  by  year  and  month  by  month,  and  night  by  night,  as 
I  have  lain  alone  upon  the  Ghost  Mountain  yonder,  I  have 
wondered  how  I  might  bring  my  oath  to  pass,  and  found  no 
way.  Now  it  seems  that  there  is  a  way,  and  I  am  glad. 


198 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Yet  this  is  a  great  adventure,  and  perhaps  before  it  is 
done  with  the  People  of  the  Axe  will  be  no  more.”  And 
he  ceased  and  took  snuff,  watching  our  faces  over  the  spoon. 

“Galazi  the  Wolf,”  said  Umslopogaas,  “for  me  also  the 
matter  has  another  face.  You  have  lost  your  father  at  the 
hands  of  these  Halakazi  dogs,  and,  though  till  last  night  I 
did  not  know  it,  I  have  lost  my  mother  by  their  spears,  and 
with  her  one  whom  I  loved  above  all  in  the  world,  my  sister 
Uada,  who  loved  me  also.  Both  are  dead  and  the  Halakazi 
have  killed  them.  This  man,  the  mouth  of  Dingaan,”  and 
he  pointed  to  me,  Mopo,  “this  man  says  that  if  I  can 
stamp  out  the  Halakazi  and  make  captive  of  the  Lily  maid, 
I  shall  win  the  heart  of  Dingaan.  Little  do  I  care  for 
Dingaan,  I  who  would  go  my  way  alone,  and  live  while  I 
may  live,  and  die  when  I  must,  by  the  hands  of  Dingaan  as 
by  those  of  another — what  does  it  matter?  Yet,  for  this 
reason,  because  of  the  death  of  Maeroplia,  my  mother,  and 
Uada,  the  sister  who  was  dear  to  me,  I  will  make  war  upon 
these  Halakazi  and  conquer  them,  or  be  conquered  by  them. 
Perhaps,  O  Mouth  of  Dingaan,  you  will  see  me  soon  at  the 
king’s  kraal  on  the  Mahalabatine,  and  with  me  the  Lily  maid 
and  the  cattle  of  the  Halakazi ;  or  perhaps  you  shall  not 
see  me,  and  then  you  will  know  that  I  am  dead,  and  the 
Warriors  of  the  Axe  are  no  more.” 

So  Umslopogaas  spoke  to  me  before  Galazi  the  Wolf,  but 
afterwards  he  embraced  me  and  bade  me  farewell,  for  he  had 
no  great  hope  that  we  should  meet  again.  And  I  also 
doubted  it ;  for,  as  Galazi  said,  the  adventure  was  great ; 
yet,  as  I  had  seen  many  times,  it  is  the  bold  thrower  who 
oftenest  wins.  So  we  parted — I  to  return  to  Dingaan  and 
tell  him  that  Bulalio,  Chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe, 
had  gone  up  against  the  Halakazi  to  win  the  Lily  maid 
and  bring  her  to  him  in  atonement;  while  Umslopogaas 
remained  to  make  ready  his  impi  for  war. 

I  went  swiftly  from  the  Ghost  Mountain  back  to  the 
kraal  Umgugundhlovu,  and  presented  myself  before  Din¬ 
gaan,  who  at  first  looked  on  me  coldly.  But  when  I  told 
him  my  message,  and  how  that  the  Chief  Bulalio  the  Slaugh¬ 
terer  had  taken  the  war-path  to  win  him  the  Lily,  his  mam 


THE  SLAYING  OF  THE  BOERS 


1 99 


ner  changed.  He  took  me  by  the  hand  and  said  that  I  had 
done  well,  and  he  had  been  foolish  to  doubt  me  when  I 
lifted  up  my  voice  to  persuade  him  from  sending  an  impi 
against  the  Halakazi.  How  he  saw  that  it  was  my  purpose 
to  rake  this  Halakazi  fire  with  another  hand  than  his,  and 
to  save  his  hand  from  the  burning,  and  he  thanked  me. 

Moreover,  he  said,  that  if  this  Chief  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe  brought  him  the  maid  his  heart  desired,  not  only  would 
he  forgive  him  the  words  he  had  spoken  by  the  mouth  of . 
Masilo  to  the  Black  One  who  was  dead,  but  also  all  the 
cattle  of  the  Halakazi  should  be  his,  and  he  would  make 
him  great  in  the  land.  I  answered  that  all  this  was  as  the 
king  willed.  I  had  but  done  my  duty  by  the  king  and 
worked  so  that,  whatever  befell,  a  proud  chief  should  be 
weakened  and  a  foe  should  be  attacked  at  no  cost  to  the 
king,  in  such  fashion  also  that  perhaps  it  might  come  about 
that  the  king  would  shortly  have  the  Lily  at  his  side. 

Then  I  sat  down  to  wait  what  might  befall. 

How  it  is,  my  father,  that  the  white  men  come  into  my 
story  whom  we  named  the  Amaboona,  but  you  call  the  Boers. 
Ou  !  I  think  ill  of  those  Amaboona,  though  it  was  I  who  gave 
them  the  victory  over  Dingaan — I  and  Umslopogaas. 

Before  this  time,  indeed,  a  few  white  men  had  come  to 
and  fro  to  the  kraals  of  Chaka  and  Dingaan,  but  these  came 
to  pray  and  not  to  fight.  How  the  Boers  both  fight  and 
pray,  also  they  steal,  or  used  to  steal,  which  I  do  not  under¬ 
stand,  for  the  prayers  of  you  white  men  say  that  these 
things  should  not  be  done. 

Well,  when  I  had  been  back  from  the  Ghost  Mountain 
something  less  than  a  moon,  the  Boers  came,  sixty  of  them 
commanded  by  a  captain  named  Betief,  a  big  man,  and 
armed  with  roers — the  long  guns  they  had  in  those  days — 
or,  perhaps  they  numbered  a  hundred  in  all,  counting  their 
servants  and  after-riders.  This  was  their  purpose  :  to  get  a 
grant  of  the  land  in  Hatal  that  lies  between  the  Tugela  and 
the  Umzimoubu  rivers.  But,  by  my  counsel  and  that  of 
other  indunas,  Dingaan  bargained  with  the  Boers  that  first 
they  should  attack  a  certain  chief  named  Sigomyela,  who 


200 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


had  stolen  some  of  the  king’s  cattle,  and  who  lived  near 
the  Quathlamba  Mountains,  and  bring  back  those  cattle. 
This  the  Boers  agreed  to,  and  went  to  attack  the  chief,  and 
in  a  little  while  they  came  back  again,  having  destroyed  the 
people  of  Sigomyela,  and  driving  his  cattle  before  them  as 
well  as  those  which  had  been  stolen  from  the  king. 

The  face  of  Dingaan  shone  when  he  saw  the  cattle,  and 
that  night  he  called  us,  the  council  of  the  Amcipakati , 
together,  and  asked  us  as  to  the  granting  of  the  country.  I 
spoke  the  first,  and  said  that  it  mattered  little  if  he  granted 
it,  seeing  that  the  Black  One  who  was  dead  had  already 
given  it  to  the  English,  the  People  of  George,  and  the  end 
of  the  matter  would  be  that  the  Amaboona  and  the  People 
of  George  would  fight  for  the  land.  Yet  the  words  of  the 
Black  One  were  coming  to  pass,  for  already  it  seemed  we 
could  hear  the  sound  of  the  running  of  a  white  folk  who 
should  eat  up  the  kingdom. 

Now  when  I  had  spoken  thus  the  heart  of  Dingaan  grew 
heavy  and  his  face  dark,  for  my  words  stuck  in  his  breast 
like  a  barbed  spear.  Still,  he  made  no  answer,  but  dismissed 
the  council. 

On  the  morrow  the  king  promised  to  sign  the  paper  giv¬ 
ing  the  lands  they  asked  for  to  the  Boers,  and  all  was  smooth 
as  water  when  there  is  no  wind.  Before  the  paper  was 
signed  the  king  gave  a  great  dance,  for  there  were  many 
regiments  gathered  at  the  kraal,  and  for  three  days  this 
dance  went  on,  but  on  the  third  day  he  dismissed  the  regi¬ 
ments,  all  except  one,  an  impi  of  lads,  who  were  commanded 
to  stay.  Now  all  this  while  I  wondered  what  was  in  the 
mind  of  Dingaan  and  was  afraid  for  the  Amaboona.  But 
he  was  secret,  and  told  nothing  except  to  the  captains  of 
the  regiment  alone — no,  not  even  to  one  of  his  council.  Yet  I 
knew  that  he  planned  evil,  and  was  half  inclined  to  warn  the 
Captain  Betief,  but  did  not,  fearing  to  make  myself  foolish. 
Ah !  my  father,  if  I  had  spoken,  how  many  would  have  lived 
who  soon  were  dead  !  But  what  does  it  matter  ?  In  any 
case  most  of  them  would  have  been  dead  by  now. 

On  the  fourth  morning,  early,  Dingaan  sent  a  messenger 
to  the  Boers,  bidding  them  meet  him  in  the  cattle  kraal,  for 


THE  SLAYING  OF  THE  BOERS 


201 


there  he  would  mark  the  paper.  So  they  came,  stacking 
their  guns  at  the  gate  of  the  kraal,  for  it  was  death  for  any 
man,  white  or  black,  to  come  armed  before  the  presence  of 
the  king.  Now,  my  father,  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu  was 
built  in  a  great  circle,  after  the  fashion  of  royal  kraals. 
First  came  the  high  outer  fence,  then  the  thousands  of  huts 
that  ran  three  parts  round  between  the  great  fence  and  the 
inner  one.  Within  this  inner  fence  was  the  large  open 
space,  big  enough  to  hold  five  regiments,  and  at  the  top  of 
it — opposite  the  entrance — stood  the  cattle  kraal  itself,  that 
cut  off  a  piece  of  the  open  space  by  another  fence  bent  like 
a  bow.  Behind  this  again  were  the  Emposeni,  the  place 
of  the  king’s  women,  the  guard-house,  the  labyrinth,  and 
the  Intunkulu ,  the  house  of  the  king.  Dingaan  came  out  on 
that  day  and  sat  on  a  stool  in  front  of  the  cattle  kraal,  and 
by  him  stood  a  man  holding  a  shield  over  his  head  to  keep 
the  sun  from  him.  Also  we  of  the  Amapakati,  the  council, 
were  there,  and  ranged  round  the  fence  of  the  space,  armed 
with  short  sticks  only — not  with  kerries,  my  father — was 
that  regiment  of  young  men  which  Dingaan  had  not  sent 
away,  the  captain  of  the  regiment  being  stationed  near  to 
the  king,  on  the  right. 

Presently  the  Boers  came  in  on  foot  and  walked  up  to  the 
king  in  a  body,  and  Dingaan  greeted  them  kindly  and  shook 
hands  with  Retief,  their  captain.  Then  Retief  drew  the 
paper  from  a  leather  pouch,  which  set  out  the  boundaries  of 
the  grant  of  land,  and  it  was  translated  to  the  king  by  an 
interpreter.  Dingaan  said  that  it  was  good,  and  put  his 
mark  upon  it,  and  Retief  and  all  the  Boers  were  pleased, 
and  smiled  across  their  faces.  Now  they  would  have  said 
farewell,  but  Dingaan  forbade  them,  saying  that  they  must 
not  go  yet :  first  they  must  eat  and  see  the  soldiers  dance  a 
little,  and  he  commanded  dishes  of  boiled  flesh  which  had 
been  made  ready  and  bowls  of  milk  to  be  brought  to  them. 
The  Boers  said  that  they  had  already  eaten;  still,  they 
drank  the  milk,  passing  the  bowls  from  hand  to  hand. 

Now  the  regiment  began  to  dance,  singing  the  Ingomo, 
that  is  the  Avar  chant  of  us  Zulus,  my  father,  and  the 
Boers  drew  back  towards  the  centre  of  the  space  to  give 


202 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


the  soldiers  room  to  dance  in.  It  was  at  this  moment 
that  I  heard  Dingaan  give  an  order  to  a  messenger  to  run 
swiftly  to  the  white  Doctor  of  Prayers,  who  was  staying' 
without  the  kraal,  telling  him  not  to  be  afraid,  and  I  worn 
dered  what  this  might  mean ;  for  why  should  the  Prayer 
Doctor  fear  a  dance  such  as  he  had  often  seen  before? 
Presently  Dingaan  rose,  and,  followed  by  all,  walked 
through  the  press  to  where  the  Captain  Ketief  stood,  and 
bade  him  good-bye,  shaking  him  by  the  hand  and  bidding 
him  hambla  gaclile,  to  go  in  peace.  Then  he  turned  and 
walked  back  again  towards  the  gateway  which  led  to  his 
royal  house,  and  I  saw  that  near  this  entrance  stood  the 
captain  of  the  regiment,  as  one  stands  who  waits  for  orders. 

Now  of  a  sudden,  my  father,  Dingaan  stopped  and  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  “  Bulalani  Abatakati !”  (slay  the  wizards), 
and  having  cried  it,  he  covered  his  face  with  the  corner  of 
his  blanket,  and  passed  behind  the  fence. 

We,  the  councillors,  stood  astounded,  like  men  who  had 
become  stone ;  but  before  we  could  speak  or  act  the  captain 
of  the  regiment  had  also  cried  aloud,  “  Bulalani  Abatakati !  ” 
and  the  signal  was  caught  up  from  every  side.  Then,  my 
father,  came  a  yell  and  a  rush  of  thousands  of  feet,  and 
through  the  clouds  of  dust  we  saw  the  soldiers  hurl  them¬ 
selves  upon  the  Amaboona,  and  above  the  shouting  we  heard 
the  sound  of  falling  sticks.  The  Amaboona  drew  their  knives 
and  fought  bravely,  but  before  a  man  could  count  a  hundred 
twice  it  was  done,  and  they  were  being  dragged,  some  few 
dead,  but  the  most  yet  living,  towards  the  gates  of  the  kraal 
and  out  on  to  the  Hill  of  Slaughter,  and  there,  on  the  Hill 
of  Slaughter,  they  were  massacred,  every  one  of  them.  How  ? 
Ah  !  I  will  not  tell  you — they  were  massacred  and  piled  in 
a  heap,  and  that  was  the  end  of  their  story,  my  father. 

Now  I  and  the  other  councillors  turned  away  and  walked 
silently  towards  the  house  of  the  king.  We  found  him 
standing  before  his  great  hut,  and,  lifting  our  hands,  we 
saluted  him  silently,  saying  no  word.  It  was  Dingaan  who 
spoke,  laughing  a  little  as  he  spoke,  like  a  man  who  is  un¬ 
easy  in  his  mind. 

“Ah,  my  captains/  he  said,  a when  the  vultures  plumed 


THE  SLAYING  OF  THE  BOERS 


203 


themselves  this  morning  and  shrieked  to  the  sky  for  blood, 
they  did  not  look  for  such  a  feast  as  I  have  given  them. 
And  you,  my  captains,  you  little  guessed  how  great  a  king 
the  Heavens  have  set  to  rule  over  you,  nor  how  deep  is  the 
mind  of  the  king  that  watches  ever  over  his  people’s  welfare. 
Now  the  land  is  free  from  the  White  Wizards  of  whose  foot¬ 
steps  the  Black  One  croaked  as  he  gave  up  his  life,  or  soon 
shall  be,  for  this  is  but  a  beginning.  Ho!  Messengers!” 
and  he  turned  to  some  men  who  stood  behind  him,  “  away 
swiftly  to  the  regiments  that  are  gathered  behind  the  moun¬ 
tain,  away  to  them,  bearing  the  king’s  word  to  the  captains. 
This  is  the  king’s  word :  that  the  impi  shall  run  to  the  land 
of  Natal  and  slay  the  Boers  there,  wiping  them  out,  man, 
woman,  and  child.  Away  !  ” 

Now  the  messengers  cried  out  the  royal  salute  of  Baydte, 
and,  leaping  forward  like  spears  from  the  hand  of  the 
thrower,  were  gone  at  once.  But  we,  the  councillors,  the 
members  of  the  Amapakati ,  still  stood  silent. 

Then  Dingaan  spoke  again,  addressing  me : — 

“Is  thy  heart  at  rest  now,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama? 
Ever  hast  thou  bleated  in  my  ear  of  this  white  people  and 
of  the  deeds  that  they  shall  do,  and  lo !  I  have  blown  upon 
them  with  my  breath  and  they  are  gone.  Say,  Mopo,  are 
the  Amaboona  wizards  yonder  all  dead  ?  If  any  be  left 
alive,  I  desire  to  speak  with  one  of  them.” 

Then  I  looked  Dingaan  in  the  face  and  spoke. 

“They  are  all  dead,  and  thou,  0  King,  thou  also  art 
dead.” 

“  It  were  well  for  thee,  thou  dog,”  said  Dingaan,  “that 
thou  shouldest  make  thy  meaning  plain.” 

“Let  the  king  pardon  me,”  I  answered;  “this  is  my 
meaning.  Thou  canst  not  kill  these  white  men,  for  they 
are  not  of  one  race,  but  of  many  races,  and  the  sea  is  their 
home ;  they  rise  out  of  the  black  water.  Destroy  those  that 
are  here,  and  others  shall  come  to  avenge  them,  more  and 
more  and  more!  Now  thou  hast  smitten  in  thy  hour;  in 
theirs  they  shall  smite  in  turn.  Now  they  lie  low  in  blood 
at  thy  hand;  in  a  day  to  come,  0  King,  thou  shalt  lie  low 
in  blood  at  theirs.  Madness  has  taken  hold  of  thee,  0 


204 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


King,  that  thou  hast  done  this  thing,  and  the  fruit  of  thy 
madness  shall  be  thy  death.  I  have  spoken,  I,  who  am  the 
king’s  servant.  Let  the  will  of  the  king  be  done.” 

Then  I  stood  still  waiting  to  be  killed,  for,  my  father,  in  the 
fury  of  my  heart  at  the  wickedness  which  had  been  worked 
I  could  not  hold  back  my  words.  Thrice  Dingaan  looked 
on  me  with  a  terrible  face,  and  yet  there  was  fear  in  his 
face  striving  with  its  rage,  and  I  waited  calmly  to  see  which 
would  conquer,  the  fear  or  the  rage.  When  at  last  he  spoke, 
it  was  one  word,  u  Go !  ”  not  three  words,  u  Take  him  away.” 
So  I  went  yet  living,  and  with  me  the  councillors,  leaving 
the  king  alone. 

I  went  with  a  heavy  heart,  my  father,  for  of  all  the  evil 
sights  that  I  have  seen  it  seemed  to  me  that  this  was  the 
most  evil — that  the  Amaboona  should  be  slaughtered  thus 
treacherously,  and  that  the  impis  should  be  sent  out  treach¬ 
erously  to  murder  those  who  were  left  of  them,  together 
with  their  women  and  children.  Ay,  and  they  slew — six 
hundred  of  them  did  they  slay — yonder  in  Weenen,  the 
land  of  weeping. 

Say,  my  father,  why  does  the  Unkulunkulu  who  sits  in 
the  Heavens  above  allow  such  things  to  be  done  on  the 
earth  beneath  ?  I  have  heard  the  preaching  of  the  white 
men,  and  they  say  that  they  know  all  about  Him — that  His 
names  are  Power  and  Mercy  and  Love.  Why,  then,  does  He 
suffer  these  things  to  be  done — why  does  He  suffer  such 
men  as  Chaka  and  Dingaan  to  torment  the  people  of  the 
earth,  and  in  the  end  pay  them  but  one  death  for  all  the 
thousands  that  they  have  given  to  others  ?  Because  of 
the  wickedness  of  the  peoples,  you  say;  but  no,  no,  that 
cannot  be,  for  do  not  the  guiltless  go  with  the  guilty — 
ay,  do  not  the  innocent  children  perish  by  the  hundred? 
Perchance  there  is  another  answer,  though  who  am  I,  my 
father,  that  I,  in  my  folly,  should  strive  to  search  out  the 
way  of  the  Unsearchable?  Perchance  it  is  but  a  part  of  the 
great  plan,  a  little  piece  of  that  pattern  of  which  I  spoke — 
the  pattern  on  the  cup  that  holds  the  waters  of  His  wisdom. 
Wow!  I  do  not  understand,  who  am  but  a  wild  man,  nor 


THE  WAR  WITH  THE  HALAKAZI  PEOPLE  205 


have  I  found  more  knowledge  in  the  hearts  of  you  tamed 
white  people.  You  know  many  things,  but  of  these  you  do 
not  know :  you  cannot  tell  us  what  we  were  an  hour  before 
birth,  nor  what  we  shall  be  an  hour  after  death,  nor  why 
we  were  born,  nor  why  we  die.  You  can  only  hope  and 
believe — that  is  all,  and  perhaps,  my  father,  before  many 
days  are  sped  I  shall  be  wiser  than  all  of  you.  For  I  am 
very  aged,  the  fire  of  my  life  sinks  low — it  burns  in  my 
brain  alone  ;  there  it  is  still  bright,  but  soon  that  will  go  out 
also,  and  then  perhaps  I  shall  understand. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

THE  WAR  WITH  THE  HALAKAZI  PEOPLE. 

Now,  my  father,  I  must  tell  of  how  Umslopogaas  the 
Slaughterer  and  Galazi  the  Wolf  fared  in  their  war  against 
the  People  of  the  Halakazi.  When  I  had  gone  from  the 
shadow  of  the  Ghost  Mountain,  Umslopogaas  summoned  a 
gathering  of  all  his  headmen,  and  told  them  it  was  his  de¬ 
sire  that  the  People  of  the  Axe  should  no  longer  be  a  little 
people ;  that  they  should  grow  great  and  number  their  cattle 
by  tens  of  thousands. 

The  headmen  asked  how  this  might  be  brought  about — 
would  he  then  make  war  on  Dingaan  the  king  ?  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  answered  no,  he  would  win  the  favour  of  the  king 
thus :  and  he  told  them  of  the  Lily  maid  and  of  the  Hala¬ 
kazi  tribe  in  Swaziland,  and  of  how  he  would  go  up  against 
that  tribe.  Now  some  of  the  headmen  said  yea  to  this 
and  some  said  nay,  and  the  talk  ran  high  and  lasted  till  the 
evening.  But  when  the  evening  was  come  Umslopogaas 
rose  and  said  that  he  was  chief  under  the  Axe,  and  none 
other,  and  it  was  his  will  that  they  should  go  up  against 
the  Halakazi.  If  there  was  any  man  there  who  would 
gainsay  his  will,  let  him  stand  forward  and  do  battle  with 
him,  and  he  who  conquered  should  order  all  things.  To 
this  there  was  110  answer,  for  there  were  few  who  cared  to 


206 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


face  the  beak  of  Groan-Maker,  and  so  it  came  about  that  it 
was  agreed  that  the  People  of  the  Axe  should  make  war 
upon  the  Halakazi,  and  Umslopogaas  sent  out  messengers 
to  summon  every  fighting-man  to  his  side. 

But  when  Zinita,  his  head  wife,  came  to  hear  of  the  mat¬ 
ter  she  was  angry,  and  upbraided  Umslopogaas,  and  heaped 
curses  on  me,  Mopo,  whom  she  knew  only  as  the  mouth  of 
Dingaan,  because,  as  she  said  truly,  I  had  put  this  scheme 
into  the  mind  of  the  Slaughterer.  “What!”  she  went  on, 
“do  you  not  live  here  in  peace  and  plenty,  and  must 
you  go  to  make  war  on  those  who  have  not  harmed  you; 
there,  perhaps,  to  perish  or  to  come  to  other  ill  ?  You  say 
you  do  this  to  win  a  girl  for  Dingaan  and  to  find  favour  in 
his  sight.  Has  not  Dingaan  girls  more  than  he  can  count  ? 
It  is  more  likely  that,  wearying  of  us,  your  wives,  you  go  to 
get  girls  for  yourself,  Bulalio;  and  as  for  finding  favour, 
rest  quiet,  so  shall  you  find  most  favour.  If  the  king  sends 
his  impis  against  you,  then  it  will  be  time  to  fight,  0  fool 
with  little  wit !  ” 

Thus  Zinita  spoke  to  him,  very  roughly — for  she  always 
blurted  out  what  was  in  her  mind,  and  Umslopogaas  could 
not  challenge  her  to  battle.  So  he  must  bear  her  talk  as 
best  he  might,  for  it  is  often  thus,  my  father,  that  the 
greatest  men  grow  small  enough  in  their  own  huts.  More¬ 
over,  he  knew  that  it  was  because  Zinita  loved  him  that  she 
spoke  so  bitterly. 

Now  on  the  third  day  all  the  fighting-men  were  gath- 
eied,  and  there  might  have  been  two  thousand  of  them, 
good  men  and  brave.  Then  Umslopogaas  went  out  and 
spoke  to  them,  telling  them  of  this  adventure,  and  Ga- 
lazi  the  Wolf  was  with  him.  They  listened  silently,  and 
it  was  plain  to  see  that,  as  in  the  case  of  the  headmen, 
some  of  them  thought  one  thing  and  some  another.  Then 
Galazi  spoke  to  them  briefly,  telling  them  that  he  knew  the 
roads  and  the  caves  and  the  number  of  the  Halakazi  cattle; 

but  still  they  doubted.  Thereon  Umslopogaas  added  these 
words : — 

“  To-morrow,  at  the  dawn,  I,  Bulalio,  Holder  of  the  Axe, 
Chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  go  up  against  the  Halakazi, 


THE  WAR  WITH  THE  HALAKAZI  PEOPLE  20 7 


witli  Galazi  the  Wolf,  my  brother.  If  but  ten  men  follow 
us,  yet  we  will  go.  Now,  choose,  you  soldiers !  Let  those 
come  who  will,  and  let  those  who  will  stop  at  home  with 
the  women  and  the  little  children.” 

Now  a  great  shout  rose  from  every  throat. 

“We  will  go  with  you,  Bulalio,  to  victory  or  death!” 

So  on  the  morrow  they  marched,  and  there  was  wailing 
among  the  women  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.  Only  Zinita  did 
not  wail,  but  stood  by  in  wrath,  foreboding  evil ;  nor  would 
she  bid  her  lord  farewell,  yet  when  he  was  gone  she  wept  also. 

Now  Umslopogaas  and  his  impi  travelled  fast  and  far, 
hungering  and  thirsting,  till  at  length  they  came  to  the 
land  of  the  Umswazi,  and  after  a  while  entered  the  terri¬ 
tory  of  the  Halakazi  by  a  high  and  narrow  pass.  The  fear 
of  Galazi  the  Wolf  was  that  they  should  find  this  pass 
held,  for  though  they  had  harmed  none  in  the  kraals  as 
they  went,  and  taken  only  enough  cattle  to  feed  them¬ 
selves,  yet  he  knew  well  that  messengers  had  sped  by  day 
and  night  to  warn  the  people  of  the  Halakazi.  But  they 
found  no  man  in  the  pass,  and  on  the  other  side  of  it  they 
rested,  for  the  night  was  far  spent.  At  dawn  Umslopogaas 
looked  out  over  the  wide  plains  beyond,  and  Galazi  showed 
him  a  long  low  hill,  two  hours’  march  away. 

“  There,  my  brother,”  he  said,  “  lies  the  head  kraal  of  the 
Halakazi,  where  I  was  born,  and  in  that  hill  is  the  great  cave.” 

Then  they  went  on,  and  before  the  sun  was  high  they 
came  to  the  crest  of  a  rise,  and  heard  the  sound  of  horns  on 
its  farther  side.  They  stood  upon  the  rise,  and  looked,  and 
lo !  yet  far  off,  but  running  towards  them,  was  the  whole 
impi  of  the  Halakazi,  and  it  was  a  great  impi. 

“They  have  gathered  their  strength  indeed,”  said  Galazi. 
“For  every  man  of  ours  there  are  three  of  these  Swazis!” 

The  soldiers  saw  also,  and  the  courage  of  some  of  them 
sank  low.  Then  Umslopogaas  spoke  to  them: — 

“Yonder  are  the  Swazi  dogs,  my  children;  they  are 
many  and  we  are  but  few.  Yet,  shall  it  be  told  at  home 
that  we,  men  of  the  Zulu  blood,  were  hunted  by  a  pack  of 
Swazi  dogs  ?  Shall  our  women  and  children  sing  that  song 
in  our  ears,  0  Soldiers  of  the  Axe  ?  ” 


208 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  some  cried  “  Never !”  but  some  were  silent;  so 
Umslopogaas  spoke  again  : — 

“  Turn  back  all  who  will :  there  is  yet  time.  Turn  back 
all  who  will,  but  ye  who  are  men  come  forward  with  me. 
Or  if  ye  will,  go  back  all  of  you,  and  leave  Axe  Groan- 
Maker  and  Club  Watcher  to  see  this  matter  out  alone.” 

Now  there  rose  a  mighty  shout  of  “We  will  die  together 
who  have  lived  together!” 

“Do  you  swear  it?”  cried  Umslopogaas,  holding  Groan- 
Maker  on  high. 

“We  swear  it  by  the  Axe,”  they  answered. 

Then  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  made  ready  for  the  battle. 
They  posted  all  the  young  men  in  the  broken  ground  above 
the  bottom  of  the  slope,  for  these  could  best  be  spared 
to  the  spear,  and  Galazi  the  Wolf  took  command  of  them ; 
but  the  veterans  stayed  upon  the  hillside,  and  with  them 
Umslopogaas. 

Now  the  Halakazi  came  on,  and  there  were  four  full 
regiments  of  them.  The  plain  was  black  with  them,  the  air 
was  rent  with  their  shoutings,  and  their  spears  flashed  like 
lightnings.  On  the  farther  side  of  the  slope  they  halted 
and  sent  a  herald  forward  to  demand  what  the  People  of 
the  Axe  would  have  from  them.  The  Slaughterer  answered 
that  they  would  have  three  things :  First,  the  head  of  their 
chief,  whose  place  Galazi  should  fill  henceforth;  secondly, 
that  fair  maid  whom  men  named  the  Lily;  thirdly,  a  thou¬ 
sand  head  of  cattle.  If  these  demands  were  granted,  then 
he  would  spare  them,  the  Halakazi ;  if  not,  he  would  stamp 
them  out  and  take  all. 

So  the  herald  returned,  and  when  he  reached  the  ranks  of 
the  Halakazi  he  called  aloud  his  answer.  Then  a  great  roar 
of  laughter  went  up  from  the  Halakazi  regiments,  a  roar 
that  shook  the  earth.  The  brow  of  LTmslopogaas  the 
Slaughterer  burned  red  beneath  the  black  when  he  heard 
it,  and  he  shook  Groan-Maker  towards  their  host. 

“Ye  shall  sing  another  song  before  this  sun  is  set,”  he 
cried,  and  strode  along  the  ranks  speaking  to  this  man  and 
that  by  name,  and  lifting  up  their  hearts  with  great 
words. 


THE  WAR  IVITH  THE  HALAKAZI  PEOPLE  209 


Now  the  Halakazi  raised  a  shout,  and  charged  to  come  at 
the  young  men  led  by  Galazi  the  Wolf;  but  beyond  the  foot 
of  the  slope  was  peaty  ground,  and  they  came  through  it 
heavily,  and  as  they  came  Galazi  and  the  young  men  fell 
upon  them  and  slew  them  ;  still,  they  could  not  hold  them 
back  for  long,  because  of  their  great  numbers,  and  pres¬ 
ently  the  battle  raged  all  along  the  slope.  But  so  well  did 
Galazi  handle  the  young  men,  and  so  fiercely  did  they  fight 
beneath  his  eye,  that  before  they  could  be  killed  or  driven 
back  all  the  force  of  the  Halakazi  was  doing  battle  with 
them.  Ay,  and  twice  Galazi  charged  with  such  as  he  could 
gather,  and  twice  he  checked  the  Halakazi  rush,  throwing 
them  into  confusion,  till  at  length  company  was  mixed 
with  company  and  regiment  with  regiment.  But  it  might 
not  endure,  for  now  more  than  half  of  the  young  men  were 
down,  and  the  rest  were  being  pushed  back  up  the  hill, 
fighting  madly. 

But  all  this  while  Umslopogaas  and  the  veterans  sat 
in  their  ranks  upon  the  brow  of  the  slope  and  watched. 
“Those  Swazi  dogs  have  a  fool  for  their  general,”  quoth 
Umslopogaas.  “  He  has  no  men  left  to  fall  back  on,  and 
Galazi  has  broken  his  array  and  mixed  his  regiments  as 
milk  and  cream  are  mixed  in  a  bowl.  They  are  no  longer 
an  impi,  they  are  a  mob.” 

Now  the  veterans  moved  restlessly  on  their  haunches, 
pushing  their  legs  out  and  drawing  them  in  again.  They 
glanced  at  the  fray,  they  looked  into  each  other’s  eyes 
and  spoke  a  word  here,  a  word  there,  “  Well  smitten,  Galazi ! 
Wow !  that  one  is  down  !  A  brave  lad !  Ho !  a  good  club  is 
the  Watcher !  The  fight  draws  near,  my  brother  !  ”  And 
ever  as  they  spoke  their  faces  grew  fiercer  and  their  fingers 
played  with  their  spears. 

At  length  a  captain  called  aloud  to  Umslopogaas  : — 

“  Say,  Slaughterer,  is  it  not  time  to  be  up  and  doing  ? 
The  grass  is  wet  to  sit  on,  and  our  limbs  grow  cramped.” 

“Wait  awhile,”  answered  Umslopogaas.  “Let  them 
weary  of  their  play.  Let  them  weary,  I  tell  you.” 

As  he  spoke  the  Halakazi  huddled  themselves  together, 
and  with  a  rush  drove  back  Galazi  and  those  who  were 


210 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


left  of  the  young  men.  Yes,  at  last  they  were  forced  to 
flee,  and  after  them  came  the  Swazis,  and  in  the  forefront 
of  the  pursuit  was  their  chief,  ringed  round  with  a  circle  of 
his  bravest. 

Umslopogaas  saw  it  and  bounded  to  his  feet,  roaring  like 
a  bull.  “  At  them  now,  wolves  !  ”  he  shouted. 

Then  the  lines  of  warriors  sprang  up  as  a  wave  springs, 
and  their  crests  were  like  foam  upon  the  wave.  As  a  wave 
that  swells  to  break  they  rose  suddenly,  like  a  breaking 
wave  they  poured  down  the  slope.  In  front  of  them  was 
the  Slaughterer,  holding  Groan-Maker  aloft,  and  oh!  his 
feet  were  swift.  So  swift  were  his  feet  that,  strive  as  they 
would,  he  outran  them  by  the  quarter  of  a  spear’s  throw. 
Galazi  heard  the  thunder  of  their  rush ;  he  looked  round, 
and  as  he  looked,  lo !  the  Slaughterer  swept  past  him,  run¬ 
ning  like  a  buck.  Then  Galazi,  too,  bounded  forward,  and 
the  Wolf-Brethren  sped  down  the  hill,  the  length  of  four 
spears  between  them. 

The  Halakazi  also  saw  and  heard,  and  strove  to  gather 
themselves  together  to  meet  the  rush.  In  front  of  Um- 
slopogaas  was  their  chief,  a  tall  man  hedged  about  with 
assegais.  Straight  at  the  shield-hedge  drove  Umslopogaas, 
and  a  score  of  spears  were  lifted  to  greet  him,  a  score  of 
shields  heaved  into  the  air — this  was  a  fence  that  none 
might  pass  alive.  Yet  would  the  Slaughterer  pass  it— 
and  alone !  See  !  he  steadies  his  pace,  he  gathers  himself 
together,  and  now  he  leaps  !  High  into  the  air  he  leaps  ; 
his  feet  knock  the  heads  of  the  warriors  and  rattle  against 
the  crowns  of  their  shields.  They  smite  upwards  with 
the  spear,  but  he  has  swept  over  them  like  a  swooping 
bird.  He  has  cleared  them — he  has  lit — and  now  the 
shield-hedge  guards  two  chiefs.  But  not  for  long.  On ! 
Groan-Maker  is  aloft,  he  falls — and  neither  shield  nor  axe 
may  stay  his  stroke,  both  are  cleft  through,  and  the  Hala¬ 
kazi  lack  a  leader. 

The  shield-ring  wheels  in  upon  itself.  Fools !  Galazi 
is  upon  you!  What  was  that?  Look,  now!  see  how  many 
bones  are  left  unbroken  in  him  whom  the  Watcher  falls  on 
full !  A  hat !  — another  down  !  Close  up,  shield-men— close 
up!  Ail  are  you  fled? 


2 1 1 


THb  WAR  WITH  THE  HALAKAZI  PEOPLE 

Ah !  the  wave  has  fallen  on  the  beach.  Listen  to  its 
roaring— listen  to  the  roaring  of  the  shields  !  Stand,  you 
men  of  the  Halakazi— stand  !  Surely  they  are  but  a  few. 
So.  it  is  done!  By  the  head  of  Chaka!  they  break— they 
are  pushed  back— now  the  wave  of  slaughter  seethes  along 
the  sands— now  the  foe  is  swept  like  floating  weed,  and  from 
ail  the  line  there  comes  a  hissing  like  the  hissing  of  thin 
waters.  “  S' gee !  "  says  the  hiss.  “  S' gee  !  S' gee ! " 


There,  my  father,  I  am  old.  What  have  I  to  do  with  the 
battle  any  more,  with  the  battle  and  its  joy?  Yet  it  is 
better  to  die  in  such  a  fight  as  that  than  to  live  any  other 
way.  I  have  seen  such — I  have  seen  many  such.  Oh! 
we  could  fight  when  I  was  a  man,  my  father,  but  none  that  I 

T^Ci°Ul(i  GVer  fight  llke  UmsloP°gaas  the  Slaughterer,  son 
ot  Chaka,  and  his  blood-brother  Galazi  the  Wolf!  So  so! 

they  swept  them  away,  those  Halakazi;  they  swept  them  as 
a  maid  sweeps  the  dust  of  a  hut,  as  the  wind  sweeps  the 
wit  ered  leaves.  It  was  soon  done  when  once  it  was  begun 
Some  were  fled  and  some  were  dead,  and  this  was  the  end 
of  that  fight.  No,  no,  not  of  all  the  war.  The  Halakazi 
were  worsted  in  the  field,  but  many  lived  to  win  the  great 
cave,  and  there  the  work  must  be  finished.  Thither,  then 
went  the  Slaughterer  presently,  with  such  of  his  impi  as 
was  left  to  him.  Alas !  many  were  killed ;  but  how  could 
they  have  died  better  than  in  that  fight  ?  Also  those  who 
were  left  were  as  good  as  all,  for  now  they  knew  that  they 

should  not  be  overcome  easily  while  Axe  and  Club  still  led 
the  way. 

Now  they  stood  before  a  hill,  measuring,  perhaps,  three 
thousand  paces  round  its  base.  It  was  of  no  great  height 
and  yet  unclimbable,  for,  after  a  man  had  gone  up  a  little 
way,  the  sides  of  it  were  sheer,  offering  no  foothold  except 
to  the  rock-rabbits  and  the  lizards.  No  one  was  to  be  seen 
without  this  lull,  nor  in  the  great  kraal  of  the  Halakazi 
at  lay  to  the  east  of  it,  and  yet  the  ground  about  was 
trampled  with  the  hoofs  of  oxen  and  the  feet  of  men 

and  from  within  the  mountain  came  a  sound  of  lowing 
cattle. 


212 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“Here  is  the  nest  of  the  Halakazi,”  quoth  Galazi  the 
Wolf. 

“Here  is  the  nest  indeed/’  said  Umslopogaas;  “but  how 
shall  we  come  at  the  eggs  to  suck  them  ?  There  are  no 
branches  on  this  tree.” 

“But  there  is  a  hole  in  the  trunk/’  answered  the  Wolf. 

Now  he  led  them  a  little  way  till  they  came  to  a  place 
where  the  soil  was  trampled  as  it  is  at  the  entrance  to  a 
cattle  kraal,  and  they  saw  that  there  was  a  low  cave  which 
led  into  the  cliff,  like  an  archway  such  as  you  white  men 
build.  But  this  archway  was  filled  up  with  great  blocks 
of  stone  placed  upon  each  other  in  such  a  fashion  that  it 
could  not  be  forced  from  without.  After  the  cattle  were 
driven  in  it  had  been  filled  up. 

“We  cannot  enter  here,”  said  Galazi.  “  Follow  me.” 

So  they  followed  him,  and  came  to  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  there,  two  spear-casts  away,  a  soldier  was 
standing.  But  when  he  saw  them  he  vanished  suddenly. 

“  There  is  the  place,”  said  Galazi,  “  and  the  fox  has  gone 
to  earth  in  it.” 

Now  they  ran  to  the  spot  and  saw  a  little  hole  in  the  rock, 
scarcely  bigger  than  an  ant-bear’s  burrow,  and  through  the 
hole  came  sounds  and  some  light. 

“Now  where  is  the  hyaena  who  will  try  a  new  burrow  ?” 
cried  Umslopogaas.  “A  hundred  head  of  cattle  to  the  man 
who  wins  through  and  clears  the  way  !  ” 

Then  two  young  men  sprang  forward  who  were  flushed 
with  victory  and  desired  nothing  more  than  to  make  a  great 
name  and  win  cattle,  crying : — 

“Here  are  hyaenas,  Bulalio.” 

“To  earth,  then!”  said  Umslopogaas,  “and  let  him  who 
wins  through  hold  the  path  awhile  till  others  follow.” 

The  two  young  men  sprang  at  the  hole,  and  he  who  reached 
it  first  went  down  upon  his  hands  and  knees  and  crawled 
in,  lying  on  his  shield  and  holding  his  spear  before  him.  For 
a  little  while  the  light  in  the  burrow  vanished,  and  they 
heard  the  sound  of  his  crawling.  Then  came  the  noise  of 
blows,  and  once  more  light  crept  through  the  hole.  The 
man  was  dead. 


THE  WAR  WITH  THE  HALAKAZl  PEOPLE  213 


“This  one  had  a  bad  snake,”  said  the  second  soldier; 
“  his  snake  deserted  him.  Let  me  see  if  mine  is  better.” 

So  down  he  went  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  crawled  as 
the  first  had  done,  only  he  put  his  shield  over  his  head. 
For  awhile  they  heard  him  crawling,  then  once  more  came 
the  sound  of  blows  echoing  on  the  ox-hide  shield,  and  after 
the  blows  groans.  He  was  dead  also,  yet  it  seemed  that 
they  had  left  his  body  in  the  hole,  for  now  no  light  came 
through.  This  was  the  cause,  my  father :  when  they  struck 
the  man  he  had  wriggled  back  a  little  way  and  died  there, 
and  none  had  entered  from  the  farther  side  to  drag  him  out. 

How  the  soldiers  stared  at  the  mouth  of  the  passage  and 
none  seemed  to  love  the  look  of  it,  for  this  was  but  a  poor 
way  to  die.  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  also  looked  at  it, 
thinking. 

“How  I  am  named  Wolf,”  said  Galazi,  “and  a  wolf  should 
not  fear  the  dark ;  also,  these  are  my  people,  and  I  must  be 
the  first  to  visit  them,”  and  he  went  down  on  his  hands 
and  knees  without  more  ado.  But  Umslopogaas,  having 
peered  once  more  down  the  burrow,  said :  “  Hold,  Galazi ;  I 
will  go  first !  I  have  a  plan.  Do  you  follow  me.  And  you, 
my  children,  shout  loudly,  so  that  none  may  hear  us  move  ; 
and,  if  we  win  through,  follow  swiftly,  for  we  cannot  hold 
the  mouth  of  that  place  for  long.  Hearken,  also !  this  is  my 
counsel  to  you :  if  I  fall  choose  another  chief — Galazi  the 
Wolf,  if  he  is  still  living.” 

“Hay,  Slaughterer,  do  not  name  me,”  said  the  Wolf,  “for 
together  we  will  live  or  die.” 

“  So  let  it  be,  Galazi.  Then  choose  you  some  other  man 
and  try  this  road  no  more,  for  if  we  cannot  pass  it  none  can, 
but  seek  food  and  sit  down  here  till  those  jackals  bolt;  then 
be  ready.  Farewell,  my  children  !  ” 

“Farewell,  father,”  they  answered,  “go  warily,  lest  we 
be  left  like  cattle  without  a  herdsman,  wandering  and 
desolate.” 

Then  Umslopogaas  crept  into  the  hole,  taking  no  shield, 
but  holding  Groan-Maker  before  him,  and  at  his  heels  crept 
Galazi.  When  he  had  covered  the  length  of  six  spears  he 
stretched  out  his  hand,  and,  as  he  trusted  to  do,  he  found 


214 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


the  feet  of  that  man  who  had  gone  before  and  died  in  the 
place.  Then  Umslopogaas  the  wary  did  this:  he  put  his 
head  beneath  the  dead  man’s  legs  and  thrust  himself  on¬ 
ward  till  all  the  body  was  on  his  back,  and  there  he  held 
it  with  one  hand,  gripping  its  two  wrists  in  his  hand. 
Then  he  crawled  forward  a  little  space  and  saw  that  he 
was  coming  to  the  inner  mouth  of  the  burrow,  but  that  the 
shadow  was  deep  there  because  of  a  great  mass  of  rock 
which  lay  before  the  burrow  shutting  out  the  light.  “This 
is  well  for  me,”  thought  Umslopogaas,  “for  now  they  will 
not  know  the  dead  from  the  living.  I  may  yet  look  upon 
the  sun  again.”  Now  he  heard  the  Halakazi  soldiers  talk¬ 
ing  without. 

“  The  Zulu  rats  do  not  love  this  run,”  said  one,  “  they  fear 
the  rat-catcher’s  stick.  This  is  good  sport,”  and  a  man 
laughed. 

Then  Umslopogaas  pushed  himself  forward  as  swiftly 
as  he  could,  holding  the  dead  man  on  his  back,  and  sud¬ 
denly  came  out  of  the  hole  into  the  open  place  in  the  dark 
shadow  of  the  great  rock. 

“  By  the  Lily,”  cried  a  soldier,  “  here’s  a  third !  Take 
this,  Zulu  rat !  ”  And  he  struck  the  dead  man  heavily  with  a 
kerrie.  “And  that !  ”  cried  another,  driving  his  spear  through 
him  so  that  it  pricked  Umslopogaas  beneath.  “And  that! 
and  this  !  and  that !  ”  said  others,  as  they  smote  and  stabbed. 

Now  Umslopogaas  groaned  heavily  in  the  deep  shadow 
and  lay  still.  “No  need  to  waste  more  blows,”  said  the 
man  who  had  struck  first.  “  This  one  will  never  go  back 
to  Zululand,  and  I  think  that  few  will  care  to  follow  him. 
Let  us  make  an  end :  run,  some  of  you,  and  find  stones  to 
stop  the  burrow,  for  now  the  sport  is  done.” 

He  turned  as  he  spoke  and  so  did  the  others,  and  this 
was  what  the  Slaughterer  sought.  With  a  swift  movement, 
he  freed  himself  from  the  dead  man  and  sprang  to  his 
feet.  They  heard  the  sound  and  turned  again,  but  as  they 
turned  Groan-Maker  pecked  softly,  and  that  man  who  had 
sworn  by  the  Lily  was  no  more  a  man.  Then  Umslopogaas 
leaped  forwards,  and,  bounding  on  to  the  great  rock,  stood 
there  like  a  buck  against  the  sky. 


THE  FINDING  OF  NAD  A 


215 


“  A  Zulu  rat  is  not  so  easily  slain,  0  ye  weasels !  ”  he 
cried,  as  they  came  at  him  from  all  sides  at  once  with  a 
roar.  He  smote  to  the  right  and  the  left,  and  so  swiftly 
that  men  could  scarcely  see  the  blows  fall,  for  he  struck 
with  Groan-Maker’s  beak.  But  though  men  scarcely  saw 
the  blows,  yet,  my  father,  men  fell  beneath  them.  Now 
foes  were  all  around,  leaping  up  at  the  Slaughterer  as  rush¬ 
ing  water  leaps  to  hide  a  rock — everywhere  shone  spears, 
thrusting  at  him  from  this  side  and  from  that.  Those  in 
front  and  to  the  side  Groan-Maker  served  to  stay,  but  one 
wounded  Umslopogaas  in  the  neck,  and  another  was  lifted 
to  pierce  his  back  when  the  strength  of  its  holder  was  bowed 
to  the  dust — to  the  dust,  to  become  of  the  dust. 

For  now  the  Wolf  was  through  the  hole  also,  and  the 
Watcher  grew  very  busy;  he  was  so  busy  that  soon  the 
back  of  the  Slaughterer  had  nothing  more  to  fear — yet 
those  had  much  to  fear  who  stood  behind  his  back.  The 
pair  fought  bravely,  making  a  great  slaughter,  and  pres¬ 
ently,  one  by  one,  plumed  heads  of  the  People  of  the  Axe 
showed  through  the  burrow  and  strong  arms  mingled  in 
the  fray.  Swiftly  they  came,  leaping  into  battle  as  otters 
leap  to  the  water — now  there  were  ten  of  them,  now  there 
were  twenty — and  now  the  Halakazi  broke  and  fled,  since 
they  did  not  bargain  for  this.  Then  the  rest  of  the  Men  of 
the  Axe  came  through  in  peace,  and  the  evening  grew 
towards  the  dark  before  all  had  passed  the  hole. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  FINDING  OF  NADA. 

Umslopogaas  marshalled  his  companies. 

“  There  is  little  light  left,”  he  said,  “  but  it  must  serve 
us  to  start  these  conies  from  their  burrows.  Come,  my 
brother  Galazi,  you  know  where  the  conies  hide,  take  my 
place  and  lead  us.” 

So  Galazi  led  the  impi.  Turning  a  corner  of  the  glen,  he 


216 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


came  with  them  to  a  large  open  space  that  had  a  fountain 
in  its  midst,  and  this  place  was  full  of  thousands  of  cattle. 
Then  he  turned  again  to  the  left,  and  brought  them  to  the 
inner  side  of  the  mountain,  where  the  cliff  hung  over,  and 
here  was  the  mouth  of  a  great  cave.  Now  the  cave  was 
dark,  but  by  its  door  was  stacked  a  pile  of  resinous  wood  to 
serve  as  torches. 

“  Here  is  that  which  shall  give  us  light, ”  said  Galazi, 
and  one  man  of  every  two  took  a  torch  and  lit  it  at  a 
fire  that  burned  near  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  Then  they 
rushed  in,  waving  the  flaring  torches  and  with  assegais  aloft. 
Here  for  the  last  time  the  Halakazi  stood  against  them, 
and  the  torches  floated  up  and  down  upon  the  wave  of  war. 
But  they  did  not  stand  for  very  long,  for  all  the  heart  was 
out  of  them.  Wow  !  yes,  many  were  killed — I  do  not  know 
how  many.  I  know  this  only,  that  the  Halakazi  are  no 
more  a  tribe  since  Umslopogaas,  who  is  named  Bulalio, 
stamped  them  with  his  feet — they  are  nothing  but  a  name 
now.  The  People  of  the  Axe  drove  them  out  into  the 
open  and  finished  the  fight  by  starlight  among  the  cattle. 

In  one  corner  of  the  cave  Umslopogaas  saw  a  knot  of 
men  clustering  round  something  as  though  to  guard  it.  He 
rushed  at  the  men,  and  with  him  went  Galazi  and  others. 
But  when  Umslopogaas  was  through,  by  the  light  of  his 
torch  he  perceived  a  tall  and  slender  man,  who  leaned  against 
the  wall  of  the  cave  and  held  a  shield  before  his  face. 

“You  are  a  coward!”  he  cried,  and  smote  with  Groan- 
Maker.  The  great  axe  pierced  the  hide,  but,  missing  the 
head  behind,  rang  loudly  against  the  rock,  and  as  it  struck  a 
sweet  voice  said: — 

“  Ah  !  soldier,  do  not  kill  me  !  Why  are  you  angry  with 
me  ?  ” 

Now  the  shield  had  come  away  from  its  holder’s  hands 
upon  the  blade  of  the  axe,  and  there  was  something  in  the 
notes  of  the  voice  that  caused  Umslopogaas  to  smite  no 
more :  it  was  as  though  a  memory  of  childhood  had  come  to 
him  in  a  dream.  His  torch  was  burning  low,  but  he  thrust 
it  forward  to  look  at  him  who  crouched  against  the  rock. 
The  dress  was  the  dress  of  a  man,  but  this  was  no  man’s 


4  How  are  von  named  who  are  so  fair  ? 


THE  FINDING  OF  NAD  A 


217 


form — nay,  rather  that  of  a  lovely  woman,  well  nigh  white 
in  colour.  She  dropped  her  hands  from  before  her  face, 
and  now  he  could  see  her  well.  He  saw  eyes  that  shone 
like  stars,  hair  that  curled  and  fell  upon  the  shoulders,  and 
such  beauty  as  was  not  known  among  our  people.  And  as 
the  voice  had  spoken  to  him  of  something  that  was  lost, 
so  did  the  eyes  seem  to  shine  across  the  blackness  of 
many  years,  and  the  beauty  to  bring  back  he  knew  not 
what. 

He  looked  at  the  girl  in  all  her  loveliness,  and  she  looked 
at  him  in  his  fierceness  and  his  might,  red  with  war  and 
wounds.  They  both  looked  long,  while  the  torchlight  flared 
on  them,  on  the  walls  of  the  cave,  and  the  broad  blade  of 
Groan-Maker,  and  from  around  rose  the  sounds  of  the  fray. 

“  How  are  you  named,  who  are  so  fair  to  see  ?  ”  he  asked 
at  length. 

“  I  am  named  the  Lily  now :  once  I  had  another  name. 
Nada,  daughter  of  Mopo,  I  was  once;  but  name  and  all 
else  are  dead,  and  I  go  to  join  them.  Kill  me  and  make 
an  end.  I  will  shut  my  eyes,  that  I  may  not  see  the  great 
axe  flash.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  gazed  upon  her  again,  and  Groan- 
Maker  fell  from  his  hand. 

“Look  on  me,  Nada,  daughter  of  Mopo,”  he  said  in  a 
low  voice ;  “  look  at  me  and  say  who  am  I.” 

She  looked  once  more  and  yet  again.  Now  her  face 
was  thrust  forward  as  one  who  gazes  over  the  edge  of 
the  world;  it  grew  fixed  and  strange.  “By  my  heart,”  she 
said,  “by  my  heart,  you  are  Umslopogaas,  my  brother 
who  is  dead,  and  whom  dead  as  living  I  have  loved  ever  and 
alone.” 

Then  the  torch  flared  out,  but  Umslopogaas  took  hold  of 
her  in  the  darkness  and  pressed  her  to  him  and  kissed  her, 
the  sister  whom  he  found  after  many  years,  and  she  kissed 
him. 

“You  kiss  me  now,”  she  said,  “yet -not  long  ago  that 
great  axe  shore  my  locks,  missing  me  but  by  a  finger’s- 
breadth — and  still  the  sound  of  fighting  rings  in  my  ears ! 
Ah !  a  boon  of  you,  my  brother — a  boon :  let  there  be  no 


2l8 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


more  death  since  we  are  met  once  more.  The  people  of  the 
Halakazi  are  conquered,  and  it  is  their  just  doom,  for  thus, 
in  this  same  way,  they  killed  those  with  whom  I  lived 
before.  Yet  they  have  treated  me  well,  not  forcing  me  into 
wedlock,  and  protecting  me  from  Dingaan ;  so  spare  them, 
my  brother,  if  you  may.” 

Then  Umslopogaas  lifted  up  his  voice,  commanding  that 
the  killing  should  cease,  and  sent  messengers  running 
swiftly  with  these  words  :  “  This  is  the  command  of  Bula- 
lio :  that  he  who  lifts  hand  against  one  more  of  the  people 
of  the  Halakazi  shall  be  killed  himself  ” ;  and  the  soldiers 
obeyed  him,  though  the  order  came  somewhat  late,  and 
no  more  of  the  Halakazi  were  brought  to  doom.  They 
were  suffered  to  escape,  except  those  of  the  women  and 
children  who  were  kept  to  be  led  away  as  captives.  And  they 
ran  far  that  night.  Nor  did  they  come  together  again  to  be 
a  people,  for  they  feared  Galazi  the  Wolf,  who  would  be 
chief  over  them,  but  they  were  scattered  wide  in  the  world, 
to  sojourn  among  strangers. 

Now  when  the  soldiers  had  eaten  abundantly  of  the  store 
of  the  Halakazi,  and  guards  had  been  sent  to  ward  the  cattle 
and  watch  against  surprise,  Umslopogaas  spoke  long  with 
Nadathe  Lily,  taking  her  apart,  and  he  told  her  all  his  story. 
She  told  him  also  the  tale  which  you  know,  my  father,  of 
how  she  had  lived  with  the  little  people  that  were  subject  to 
the  Halakazi,  she  and  her  mother  Macropha,  and  how  the 
fame  of  her  beauty  had  spread  about  the  land.  Then  she 
told  him  how  the  Halakazi  had  claimed  her,  and  of  how, 
in  the  end,  they  had  taken  her  by  force  of  arms,  kill¬ 
ing  the  people  of  that  kraal,  and  among  them  her  own 
mother.  Thereafter,  she  had  dwelt  among  the  Halakazi, 
who  named  her  anew,  calling  her  the  Lily,  and  they  had 
treated  her  kindly,  giving  her  reverence  because  of  her 
sweetness  and  beauty,  and  not  forcing  her  into  marriage. 

“  And  why  would  you  not  wed,  Nada,  my  sister,”  asked 
Umslopogaas,  “you  who  are  far  past  the  age  of  mar¬ 
riage  ?  ” 

“I  cannot  tell  you,”  she  answered,  hanging  her  head; 
“but  I  have  no  heart  that  way.  I  only  seek  to  be  left 
alone.” 


THE  FINDING  OF  NAD  A 


219 


Now  Umslopogaas  thought  awhile  and  spoke.  “Do  you 
not  know  then,  Nada,  why  it  is  that  I  have  made  this  war, 
and  why  the  people  of  the  Halakazi  are  dead  and  scattered 
and  their  cattle  the  prize  of  my  arm  ?  I  will  tell  you  :  I 
am  come  here  to  win  you,  whom  I  knew  only  by  report  as 
the  Lily  maid,  the  fairest  of  women,  to  be  a  wife  to  Din- 
gaan.  The  reason  that  I  began  this  war  was  to  win  you 
and  make  my  peace  with  Dingaan,  and  now  I  have  carried 
it  through  to  the  end.” 

Now  when  she  heard  these  words,  Nada  the  Lily  trembled 
and  wept,  and,  sinking  to  the  earth,  she  clasped  the  knees 
of  Umslopogaas  in  supplication:  “Oh,  do  not  this  cruel 
thing  by  me,  your  sister,”  she  prayed ;  “  take  rather  that 
great  axe  and  make  an  end  of  me,  and  of  the  beauty  which 
has  wrought  so  much  woe,  and  most  of  all  to  me  who  wear 
it!  Would  that  I  had  not  moved  my  head  behind  the 
shield,  but  had  suffered  the  axe  to  fall  upon  it.  To  this  end 
I  was  dressed  as  a  man,  that  I  might  meet  the  fate  of  a 
man.  Ah !  a  curse  be  on  my  woman’s  weakness  that 
snatched  me  from  death  to  give  me  up  to  shame !  ” 

Thus  she  prayed  to  Umslopogaas  in  her  low  sweet  voice, 
and  his  heart  was  shaken  in  him,  though,  indeed,  he  did  not 
now  purpose  to  give  Nada  to  Dingaan,  as  Baleka  was  given 
to  Chaka,  perhaps  in  the  end  to  meet  the  fate  of  Baleka. 

“  There  are  many,  Nada,”  he  said,  “  who  would  think  it 
no  misfortune  that  they  should  be  given  as  a  wife  to  the 
first  of  chiefs.” 

“  Then  I  am  not  of  their  number,”  she  answered ;  “  nay, 
I  will  die  first,  by  my  own  hand  if  need  be.” 

Now  Umslopogaas  wondered  how  it  came  about  that 
Nada  looked  on  marriage  thus,  but  he  did  not  speak  of  the 
matter ;  he  said  only,  “  Tell  me  then,  Nada,  how  1  can 
deliver  myself  of  this  charge.  I  must  go  to  Dingaan  as  I 
promised  our  father  Mopo,  and  what  shall  I  say  to  Din¬ 
gaan  when  he  asks  for  the  Lily  whom  I  went  out  to  pluck 
and  whom  his  heart  desires  ?  What  shall  I  say  to  save  my¬ 
self  alive  from  the  wrath  of  Dingaan  ?  ” 

Then  Nada  thought  and  answered,  “  You  shall  say 
this,  my  brother.  You  shall  tell  him  that  the  Lily,  being 


220 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


clothed  in  the  war- dress  of  a  warrior,  fell  by  chance  in  the 
fray.  See,  now,  none  of  your  people  know  that  you  have 
found  me ;  they  are  thinking  of  other  things  than  maids 
in  the  hour  of  their  victory.  This,  then,  is  my  plan :  we 
will  search  now  by  the  starlight  till  we  find  the  body  of  a 
fair  maid,  for,  doubtless,  some  were  killed  by  hazard  in  the 
fight,  and  on  her  we  will  set  a  warrior’s  dress,  and  lay  by 
her  the  corpse  of  one  of  your  own  men.  To-morrow,  at 
the  light,  you  shall  take  the  captains  of  your  soldiers  and, 
having  laid  the  body  of  the  girl  in  the  dark  of  the  cave, 
you  shall  show  it  to  them  hurriedly,  and  tell  them  that  this 
was  the  Lily,  slain  by  one  of  your  own  people,  whom  in 
your  wrath  you  slew  also.  They  will  not  look  dong  on  so 
common  a  sight,  and  if  by  hazard  they  see  the  maid,  and 
think  her  not  so  very  fair,  they  will  deem  that  it  is  death 
which  has  robbed  her  of  her  comeliness.  So  the  tale  which 
you  must  tell  to  Dingaan  shall  be  built  up  firmly,  and 
Dingaan  shall  believe  it  to  be  true.” 

“And  how  shall  this  be,  Nada?”  asked  Umslopogaas. 
“How  shall  this  be  when  men  see  you  among  the  captives 
and  know  you  by  your  beauty  ?  Are  there,  then,  two  such 
Lilies  in  the  land  ?  ” 

“I  shall  not  be  known,  for  I  shall  not  be  seen,  Umslopo¬ 
gaas.  You  must  set  me  free  to-night.  I  will  wander 
hence  disguised  as  a  youth  and  covered  with  a  blanket, 
and  if  any  meet  me,  who  shall  say  that  I  am  the  Lily  ?  ” 

“And  where  will  you  wander,  Nada?  to  your  death? 
Must  we,  then,  meet  after  so  many  years  to  part  again  for¬ 
ever  ?  ” 

“  Where  was  it  that  you  said  you  lived,  my  brother  ?  Be¬ 
neath  the  shade  of  a  Ghost  Mountain,  that  men  may  know 
by  a  shape  of  stone  which  is  fashioned  like  an  old  woman 
frozen  into  stone,  was  it  not  ?  Tell  me  of  the  road  thither.” 

So  Umslopogaas  told  her  the  road,  and  she  listened 
silently. 

“  Good,”  she  said.  “  I  am  strong  and  my  feet  are  swift ; 
perhaps  they  may  serve  to  bring  me  so  far,  and  perhaps, 
if  I  win  the  shadow  of  that  mountain,  you  will  find  me  a 
hut  to  hide  in,  Umslopogaas,  my  brother.” 


THE  FINDING  OF  NADA 


221 


“Surely  it  shall  be  so,  my  sister,”  answered  Umslopo- 
gaas,  “  and  yet  the  way  is  long  and  many  dangers  lie  in  the 
path  of  a  maid  journeying  alone,  without  food  or  shel¬ 
ter,”  and  as  he  spoke  Umslopogaas  thought  of  Zinita,  his 
wife,  for  he  guessed  that  she  would  not  love  Nada,  although 
she  was  only  his  sister. 

“  Still,  it  must  be  travelled,  and  the  dangers  must  be 
braved,”  she  answered,  smiling.  “  Alas  !  there  is  no  other 
way.” 

Then  Umslopogaas  summoned  Galazi  the  Wolf  and  told 
him  all  this  story,  for  Galazi  was  the  only  man  whom  he 
could  trust.  The  Wolf  listened  in  silence,  marvelling  the 
while  at  the  beauty  of  Nada,  as  the  starlight  showed  it. 
When  everything  was  told,  he  said  only  that  he  no  longer 
wondered  that  the  people  of  the  Halakazi  had  defied  Din- 
gaan  and  brought  death  upon  themselves  for  the  sake  of 
this  maid.  Still,  to  be  plain,  his  heart  thought  ill  of  the 
matter,  for  death  was  not  done  with  yet :  there  before  them 
shone  the  Star  of  Death,  and  he  pointed  to  the  Lily. 

Now  Nada  trembled  at  his  words  of  evil  omen,  and  the 
Slaughterer  grew  angry,  but  Galazi  would  neither  add  to 
them  nor  take  away  from  them.  “I  have  spoken  that 
which  my  heart  hears,”  he  answered. 

Then  they  rose  and  went  to  search  among  the  dead  for  a 
girl  who  would  suit  their  purpose ;  soon  they  found  one,  a 
tall  and  fair  maiden,  and  Galazi  bore  her  in  his  arms  to  the 
great  cave.  Here  in  the  cave  were  none  but  the  dead,  and, 
tossed  hither  and  thither  in  their  last  sleep,  they  looked 
awful  in  the  glare  of  the  torches. 

“  They  sleep  sound,”  said  the  Lily,  gazing  on  them ; 
“  rest  is  sweet.” 

“  We  shall  soon  win  it,  maiden,”  answered  Galazi,  and 
again  Nada  trembled. 

Then,  having  arrayed  her  in  the  dress  of  a  warrior,  and 
put  a  shield  and  a  spear  by  her,  they  laid  down  the  body 
of  the  girl  in  a  dark  place  in  the  cave,  and,  finding  a  dead 
warrior  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  placed  him  beside  her. 
Now  they  left  the  cave,  and,  pretending  that  they  visited 
the  sentries,  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  passed  from  spot  to 


222 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


spot,  while  the  Lily  walked  after  them  like  a  guard,  hiding 
her  face  with  a  shield,  holding  a  spear  in  her  hand,  and 
having  with  her  a  bag  of  corn  and  dried  flesh. 

So  they  passed  on,  till  at  length  they  came  to  the  entrance 
in  the  mountain  side.  The  stones  that  had  blocked  it  were 
pulled  down  so  as  to  allow  those  of  the  Halakazi  to  fly 
who  had  been  spared  at  the  entreaty  of  Nada,  but  there 
were  guards  by  the  entrance  to  watch  that  none  came  back. 
Umslopogaas  challenged  them,  and  they  saluted  him,  but 
he  saw  that  they  were  worn  out  with  battle  and  journeying, 
and  knew  little  of  what  they  saw  or  said.  Then  he,  Galazi, 
and  Nada  passed  through  the  opening  on  to  the  plain  beyond. 

Here  the  Slaughterer  and  the  Lily  bade  each  other  fare¬ 
well,  while  Galazi  watched,  and  presently  the  Wolf  saw 
Umslopogaas  return  as  one  who  is  heavy  at  heart,  and 
caught  sight  of  the  Lily  skimming  across  the  plain  lightly 
like  a  swallow. 

“I  do  not  know  when  we  two  shall  meet  again,”  said 
Umslopogaas  so  soon  as  she  had  melted  into  the  shadows 
of  the  night. 

“  May  you  never  meet,”  answered  Galazi,  “  for  I  am  sure 
that  if  you  meet  that  sister  of  yours  will  bring  death  on 
many  more  than  those  who  now  lie  low  because  of  her  love¬ 
liness.  She  is  a  Star  of  Death,  and  when  she  sets  the  sky 
shall  be  blood  red.” 

Umslopogaas  did  not  answer,  but  walked  slowly  through 
the  archway  in  the  mountain  side. 

“  How  is  this,  chief  ?  ”  said  he  who  was  captain  of  the 
guard.  “  Three  went  out,  but  only  two  return.” 

“Fool!”  answered  Umslopogaas.  “Are  you  drunk  with 
Halakazi  beer,  or  blind  with  sleep  ?  Two  went  out,  and 
two  return.  I  sent  him  who  was  with  us  back  to  the 
camp.” 

“So  be  it,  father,”  said  the  captain.  “Two  went  out,  and 
two  return.  All  is  well !  ” 


THE  STAMPING  OF  THE  FIRE 


223 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  STAMPING  OF  THE  FIRE. 

On  the  morrow  the  impi  awoke  refreshed  with  sleep,  and, 
after  they  had  eaten,  Umslopogaas  mustered  them.  Alas! 
nearly  half  of  those  who  had  seen  the  sun  of  yesterday 
would  wake  no  more  forever.  The  Slaughterer  mustered 
them  and  thanked  them  for  that  which  they  had  done, 
winning  fame  and  cattle.  They  were  merry,  recking  little 
of  those  who  were  dead,  and  sang  his  praises  and  the 
praises  of  Galazi  in  a  loud  song.  When  the  song  was 
ended  Umslopogaas  spoke  to  them  again,  saying  that  the 
victory  was  great,  and  the  cattle  they  had  won  were  count¬ 
less.  Yet  something  was  lacking — she  was  lacking  whom 
he  came  to  seek  to  be  a  gift  to  Dingaan  the  king,  and  for 
whose  sake  this  war  was  made.  Where  now  was  the  Lily  ? 
Yesterday  she  had  been  here,  clad  in  a  moocha  like  a  man 
and  bearing  a  shield ;  this  he  knew  from  the  captives. 
Where,  then,  was  she  now  ? 

Then  all  the  soldiers  said  that  they  had  seen  nothing  of 
her.  When  they  had  done  Galazi  spoke  a  word,  as  was 
agreed  between  him  and  Umslopogaas.  He  said  that  when 
they  stormed  the  cave  he  had  seen  a  man  run  at  a  warrior 
in  the  cave  to  kill  him.  Then  as  he  came,  he  who  was 
about  to  be  slain,  threw  down  the  shield  and  cried  for 
mercy,  and  Galazi  knew  that  this  was  no  warrior  of  the 
Halakazi,  but  a  very  beautiful  girl.  So  he  called  to  the 
man  to  let  her  alone  and  not  to  touch  her,  for  the  order  was 
that  no  women  should  be  killed.  But  the  soldier,  being 
mad  with  the  lust  of  fight,  shouted  that  maid  or  man  she 
should  die,  and  slew  her.  Thereon,  he — Galazi — in  his 
wrath  ran  up  and  smote  the  man  with  the  Watcher  and 
killed  him  also,  and  he  prayed  that  he  had  done  no  wrong. 

“You  have  done  well,  my  brother,”  said  Umslopogaas. 
“Come  now,  some  of  you,  and  let  us  look  at  this  dead 
girl.  Perhaps  it  is  the  Lily,  and  if  so  that  is  unlucky  for 


224 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


us,  for  I  do  not  know  what  tale  we  shall  tell  to  Dingaan  of 
the  matter.” 

So  the  captains  went  with  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi,  and 
came  to  the  spot  where  the  girl  had  been  laid,  and  by  her 
the  man  of  the  People  of  the  Axe. 

“  All  is  as  the  Wolf,  my  brother,  has  told,”  said  Umslopo¬ 
gaas,  waving  the  torch  in  his  hand  over  the  two  who  lay 
dead.  “  Here,  without  a  doubt,  lies  she  who  was  named  the 
Lily,  whom  we  came  to  win,  and  by  her  that  fool  who 
slew  her,  slain  himself  by  the  blow  of  the  Watcher.  An  ill 
sight  to  see,  and  an  ill  tale  for  me  to  tell  at  the  kraal  of 
Dingaan.  Still,  what  is  is,  and  cannot  be  altered ;  and 
this  maid  who  was  the  fairest  of  the  fair  is  now  none  too 
lovely  to  look  on.  Let  us  away !  ”  And  he  turned  swiftly, 
then  spoke  again,  saying : — 

“  Bind  up  this  dead  girl  in  ox  hides,  cover  her  with  salt, 
and  let  her  be  brought  with  us.”  And  they  did  so. 

Then  the  captains  said  :  “  Surely  it  is  so,  my  father ;  now 
it  cannot  be  altered,  and  Dingaan  must  miss  his  bride.” 
So  said  they  all  except  that  man  who  had  been  captain 
of  the  guard  when  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  and  another 
passed  through  the  archway.  This  man,  indeed,  said  noth¬ 
ing,  yet  he  was  not  without  his  thoughts.  For  it  seemed 
to  him  that  he  had  seen  three  pass  through  the  archway, 
and  not  two.  It  seemed  to  him,  moreover,  that  the  kaross 
which  the  third  wore  had  slipped  aside  as  she  pressed  past 
him,  and  that  beneath  it  he  had  seen  the  shape  of  a  beauti¬ 
ful  woman,  and  above  it  had  caught  the  glint  of  a  woman’s 
eye — an  eye  full  and  dark,  like  a  buck’s. 

Also,  this  captain  noted  that  Bulalio  called  none  of  the 
captives  to  swear  to  the  body  of  the  Lily  maid,  and  that 
he  shook  the  torch  to  and  fro  as  he  held  it  over  her — he 
whose  hand  was  of  the  steadiest.  All  of  this  he  kept  in 
his  mind,  forgetting  nothing. 

Now  it  chanced  afterwards,  on  the  homeward  march,  my 
father,  that  Umslopogaas  had  cause  to  speak  angrily  to 
this  man,  because  he  tried  to  rob  another  of  his  share  of 
the  spoil  of  the  Halakazi.  He  spoke  sharply  to  him,  de¬ 
grading  him  from  his  rank,  and  setting  another  over  him. 


THE  STAMPING  OF  THE  FIRE 


225 


Also  he  took  cattle  from  the  man,  and  gave  them  to  him 
whom  he  would  have  robbed. 

And  thereafter,  though  he  was  justly  served,-  this  man 
thought  more  and  more  of  the  third  who  had  passed  through 
the  arch  of  the  cave  and  had  not  returned,  and  who  seemed 
to  him  to  have  a  fair  woman’s  shape,  and  eyes  which  gleamed 
like  those  of  a  woman. 

On  that  day,  then,  Umslopogaas  began  his  march  to  the 
kraal  Umgugundhlovu,  where  Dingaan  sat.  But  before  he 
set  his  face  homewards,  in  the  presence  of  the  soldiers,  he 
asked  Galazi  the  Wolf  if  he  would  come  back  with  him,  or 
if  he  desired  to  stay  to  be  chief  of  the  Halakazi,  as  he  was 
by  right  of  birth  and  war.  Then  the  Wolf  laughed,  and 
answered  that  he  had  come  out  to  seek  for  vengeance,  and 
not  for  the  place  of  a  chief,  also  that  there  were  few  cf 
the  Halakazi  people  left  over  whom  he  might  rule  if  he 
wished.  Moreover,  he  added  this :  that,  like  twin  trees,  they 
two  blood-brethren  had  grown  up  side  by  side  till  their 
roots  were  matted  together,  and  that,  were  one  of  them  dug 
up  and  planted  in  Swazi  soil,  he  feared  lest  both  should 
wither,  or,  at  the  least,  that  he,  Galazi,  would  wither,  who 
loved  but  one  man  and  certain  wolves. 

So  Umslopogaas  said  no  more  of  the  chieftainship,  but 
began  his  journey.  With  him  he  brought  a  great  number 
of  cattle,  to  be  a  gift  for  Dingaan,  and  a  multitude  of  cap¬ 
tives,  young  women  and  children,  for  he  would  appease  the 
heart  of  Dingaan,  because  he  did  not  bring  her  whom  he 
sought — the  Lily,  flower  of  flowers.  Yet,  because  he  was 
cautious  and  put  little  faith  in  the  kindness  of  kings,  Um¬ 
slopogaas,  so  soon  as  he  reached  the  borders  of  Zululand, 
sent  the  best  of  the  cattle  and  the  fairest  of  the  maids  and 
children  on  to  the  kraal  of  the  People  of  the  Axe  by  the 
Ghost  Mountain.  And  he  who  had  been  captain  of  the 
guard  but  now  was  a  common  soldier  noticed  this  also. 

Now  it  chanced  that  on  a  certain  morning  T,  Mopo,  sat 
in  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu  in  attendance  on  Dingaan. 
For  still  I  waited  on  the  king,  though  he  had  spoken  no 
word  to  me,  good  or  bad,  since  the  yesterday,  when  I  fore¬ 
told  to  him  that  in  the  blood  of  the  white  men  whom  he 

<4 


226 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


had  betrayed  grew  the  flower  of  his  own  death.  For,  my 
father,  it  was  on  the  morrow  of  the  slaying  of  the  Amaboona 
that  Umslopogaas  came  to  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu. 

Now  the  mind  of  Dingaan  was  heavy,  and  he  sought 
something  to  lighten  it.  Presently  he  bethought  him  of 
the  white  prayiug  man,  who  had  come  to  the  kraal  seeking 
to  teach  us  people  of  the  Zulu  to  worship  other  gods  than 
the  assegai  and  the  king.  Now  this  was  a  good  man,  but 
no  luck  went  with  his  teaching,  which  was  hard  to  under¬ 
stand  ;  and,  moreover,  the  indunas  did  not  like  it,  because  it 
seemed  to  set  a  master  over  the  master,  and  a  king  over 
the  king,  and  to  preach  of  peace  to  those  whose  trade  was 
war.  Still,  Dingaan  sent  for  the  white  man  th^t  he  might 
dispute  with  him,  for  Dingaan  thought  that  he  himself 
was  the  cleverest  of  all  men. 

Now  the  white  man  came,  but  his  face  was  pale,  because 
of  that  which  he  had  seen  befall  the  Boers,  for  he  was 
gentle  and  hated  such  sights.  The  king  bade  him  be  seated 
and  spoke  to  him  saying : — 

“  The  other  day,  0  White  Man,  thou  toldest  me  of  a  place 
of  fire  whither  those  go  after  death  who  have  done  wickedly 
in  life.  Tell  me  now  of  thy  wisdom,  do  my  fathers  lie  in 
that  place  ?  ” 

“  How  can  I  know,  King,”  answered  the  prayer-doctor, 
“  who  may  not  judge  of  the  deeds  of  men  ?  This  I  say 
only :  that  those  who  murder  and  rob  and  oppress  the  inno¬ 
cent  and  bear  false  witness  shall  lie  in  that  place  of  fire.” 

“It  seems  that  my  fathers  have  done  all  these  things, 
and  if  they  are  in  this  place  I  would  go  there  also,  for  I 
am  minded  to  be  with  my  fathers  at  the  last.  Yet  I  think 
that  I  should  find  a  way  to  escape  if  ever  I  came  there.” 

“  How,  King  ?  ” 

Now  Dingaan  had  set  this  trap  for  the  prayer-doctor. 
In  the  centre  of  that  open  space  where  he  had  caused 
the  Boers  to  be  fallen  upon  he  had  built  up  a  great  pyre  of 
wood — brushwood  beneath,  and  on  the  top  of  the  brush¬ 
wood  logs,  and  even  whole  trees.  Perhaps,  my  father,  there 
were  sixty  full  wagon-loads  of  dry  wood  piled  together  there 
in  the  centre  of  the  place. 


THE  STAMPING  OF  THE  FIRE 


227 


“  Thou  shalt  see  with  thine  eyes,  White  Man,”  he  an¬ 
swered,  and  bidding  attendants  set  fire  to  the  pile  all  round, 
he  summoned  that  regiment  of  young  men  which  was  left  in 
the  kraal.  Maybe  there  were  a  thousand  and  half  a  thou¬ 
sand  of  them — not  more — the  same  that  had  slain  the  Boers. 

Now  the  fire  began  to  burn  fiercely,  and  the  regiment 
filed  in  and  took  its  place  in  ranks.  By  the  time  that  all 
had  come,  the  pyre  was  everywhere  a  sheet  of  raging 
flame,  and,  though  we  sat  a  hundred  paces  from  it,  its  heat 
was  great  when  the  wind  turned  our  way. 

“Now,  Doctor  of  Prayers,  is  thy  hot  place  hotter  than 
yonder  fire  ?  ”  said  the  king. 

He  answered  that  he  did  not  know,  but  the  fire  was  cer¬ 
tainly  hot. 

“  Then  I  will  show  thee  how  I  will  come  out  of  it  if  ever 
I  go  to  lie  in  such  a  fire — ay,  though  it  be  ten  times  as  big 
and  fierce.  Ho  !  my  children !  ”  he  cried  to  the  soldiers, 
and,  springing  up,  u  You  see  yonder  fire.  Bun  swiftly  and 
stamp  it  flat  with  your  feet.  Where  there  was  fire  let  there 
be  blackness  and  ashes.” 

Now  the  White  Man  lifted  his  hands  and  prayed  Dingaan 
not  to  do  this  thing  that  should  be  the  death  of  many,  but 
the  king  bade  him  be  silent.  Then  he  turned  his  eyes 
upward  and  prayed  to  his  gods.  For  a  moment  also  the 
soldiers  looked  on  each  other  in  doubt,  for  the  fire  raged 
furiously,  and  spouts  of  flame  shot  high  toward  the  heaven, 
and  above  it  and  about  it  the  hot  air  danced.  But  their 
captain  called  to  them  loudly :  “  Great  is  the  king !  Hear 
the  words  of  the  king,  who  honours  you  !  Yesterday  we 
ate  up  the  Amaboona — it  was  nothing,  they  were  unarmed. 
There  is  a  foe  more  worthy  of  our  valour.  Come,  my  chil¬ 
dren,  let  us  wash  us  in  the  fire — we  who  are  fiercer  than 
the  fire  !  Great  is  the  king  who  honours  us  !  ” 

Thus  he  spoke  and  ran  forward,  and,  with  a  roar,  after 
him  sprang  the  soldiers,  rank  by  rank.  They  were  brave 
men  indeed  ;  moreover,  they  knew  that  if  death  lay  before 
them  death  also  awaited  him  who  lagged  behind,  and  it  is 
far  better  to  die  with  honour  than  ashamed.  On  they 
went,  as  to  the  joy  of  battle,  their  captain  leading  them, 

Q  2 


228 


NADA  THE  LILY 


and  as  they  went  they  sang  the  Ingomo,  the  war-chant  of 
the  Zulu.  Now  the  captain  neared  the  raging  fire;  we  saw 
him  lift  his  shield  to  keep  off  its  heat.  Then  he  was  gone 
— he  had  sprung  into  the  heart  of  the  furnace,  and  but  little 
of  him  was  ever  found  again.  After  him  went  the  first 
company.  In  they  went,  beating  at  the  flames  with  their 
ox-hide  shields,  stamping  them  out  with  their  naked  feet, 
tearing  down  the  burning  logs  and  casting  them  aside. 
Not  one  man  of  that  company  lived,  my  father;  they  fell 
down  like  moths  which  flutter  through  a  candle,  and  where 
they  fell  they  perished.  But  after  them  came  other  com¬ 
panies,  and  it  was  well  for  those  in  this  fight  who  were 
last  to  grapple  with  the  foe.  Now  a  great  smoke  was 
mixed  with  the  flame,  now  the  flame  grew  less  and  less, 
and  the  smoke  more  and  more ;  and  now  blackened  men, 
hairless,  naked,  and  blistered,  white  with  the  scorching  of 
the  fire,  staggered  out  on  the  farther  side  of  the  flames, 
falling  to  earth  here  and  there.  After  them  came  others ; 
now  there  was  no  flame,  only  a  great  smoke  in  which  men 
moved  dimly ;  and  presently,  my  father,  it  was  done :  they 
had  conquered  the  fire,  and  that  with  but  very  little  hurt  to 
the  last  seven  companies,  though  every  man  had  trodden  it. 
How  many  perished  ? — nay,  I  know  not,  they  were  never 
counted ;  but  what  between  the  dead  and  the  injured  that 
regiment  was  at  half  strength  till  the  king  drafted  more 
men  into  it. 

“See,  Doctor  of  Prayers/’  said  Dingaan,  with  a  laugh, 
“  thus  shall  I  escape  the  fires  of  that  land  of  which  thou 
tellest,  if  such  there  be  indeed :  I  will  bid  my  impis  stamp 
them  out.” 

Then  the  praying  man  went  from  the  kraal  saying  that 
he  would  teach  no  more  among  the  Zulus,  and  afterwards 
he  left  the  land.  When  he  had  gone  the  burnt  wood  and 
the  dead  were  cleared  away,  the  injured  were  doctored  or 
killed  according  to  their  hurts,  and  those  who  had  little 
harm  came  before  the  king  and  praised  him. 

“New  shields  and  headdresses  must  be  found  for  you, 
my  children,”  said  Dingaan,  for  the  shields  were  black 
and  shrivelled,  and  of  heads  of  hair  and  plumes  there  were 
but  few  left  among  that  regiment. 


THE  STAMPING  OF  THE  FIRE 


229 


“  Wow!”  said  Dingaan  again,  looking  at  the  soldiers 
who  still  lived  :  “  shaving  will  be  easy  and  cheap  in  that 
place  of  fire  of  which  the  white  man  speaks.” 

Then  he  ordered  beer  to  be  brought  to  the  men,  for  the 
heat  had  made  them  thirsty. 

Now  though  you  may  not  guess  it,  my  father,  I  have 
told  you  this  tale  because  it  has  something  to#do  with  my 
story  ;  for  scarcely  had  the  matter  been  ended  when  messen¬ 
gers  came,  saying  that  Bulalio,  chief  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe,  and  his  impi  were  without,  having  returned  with 
much  spoil  from  the  slaying  of  the  Halakazi  in  Swaziland. 
Now  when  I  heard  this  my  heart  leaped  for  joy,  seeing 
that  I  had  feared  greatly  for  the  fate  of  Umslopogaas,  my 
fosterling.  Dingaan  also  was  very  glad,  and,  springing  up, 
danced  to  and  fro  like  a  child. 

“Now  at  last  we  have  good  tidings,”  he  said,  at  once 
forgetting  the  stamping  of  the  fire,  “and  now  shall  my 
eyes  behold  that  Lily  whom  my  hand  has  longed  to  pluck. 
Let  Bulalio  and  his  people  enter  swiftly.” 

For  awhile  there  was  silence ;  then  from  far  away, 
without  the  high  fence  of  the  great  place,  there  came  a 
sound  of  singing,  and  through  the  gates  of  the  kraal  rushed 
two  great  men,  wearing  black  plumes  upon  their  heads, 
having  black  shields  in  their  left  hands,  and  in  their  right, 
one  an  axe  and  one  a  club  ;  while  about  their  shoulders 
were  bound  wolf-skins.  They  ran  low,  neck  and  neck,  with 
outstretched  shields  and  heads  held  forward,  as  a  buck 
runs  when  he  is  hard  pressed  by  dogs,  and  no  such  run¬ 
ning  had  been  seen  in  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu  as  the 
running  of  the  Wolf -Brethren.  Half  across  the  space 
they  ran,  and  halted  suddenly,  and,  as  they  halted,  the  dead 
ashes  of  the  fire  flew  up  before  their  feet  in  a  little  cloud. 

“By  my  head  !  look,  these  come  armed  before  me  !  ”  said 
Dingaan,  frowning,  “and  to  do  this  is  death.  Now  say  who 
is  that  man,  great  and  fierce,  who  bears  an  axe  aloft?  Did 
I  not  know  him  dead  I  should  say  it  was  the  Black  One, 
my  brother,  as  he  was  in  the  days  of  the  smiting  of  Zwide : 
so  was  his  head  set  on  his  shoulders  and  so  he  was  wont 
to  look  round,  like  a  lion.” 


230 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“I  think  that  is  Bulalio  the  Slaughterer,  chief  of  the 
People  of  the  Axe,  0  King,”  I  answered. 

“And  who  is  the  other  with  him?  He  is  a  great  man 
also.  Never  have  I  seen  such  a  pair  !  ” 

“I  think  that  is  Galazi  the  Wolf,  he  who  is  blood-brother 
to  the  Slaughterer,  and  his  general,”  I  said  again. 

Now  after  these  two  came  the  soldiers  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe,  armed  with  short  sticks  alone.  Four  by  four  they  came, 
all  holding  their  heads  low,  and  with  black  shields  out¬ 
stretched,  and  formed  themselves  into  companies  behind  the 
Wolf-Brethren,  till  all  were  there.  Then,  after  them,  the 
crowd  of  the  Halakazi  captives  were  driven  in, — women, 
boys,  and  maids,  a  great  number — and  they  stood  behind 
the  ranks  huddled  together  like  frightened  calves. 

“  A  gallant  sight,  truly !  ”  said  Dingaan,  as  he  looked 
upon  the  companies  of  black-plumed  and  shielded  warriors. 
“  I  have  no  better  soldiers  in  my  impis,  and  yet  my  eyes 
behold  these  for  the  first  time,”  and  again  he  frowned. 

Now  suddenly  Umslopogaas  lifted  his  axe  and  started 
forward  at  full  speed,  and  after  him  thundered  the  com¬ 
panies.  On  they  rushed,  and  their  plumes  lay  back  upon 
the  wind,  till  it  seemed  as  though  they  must  stamp  us  flat. 
But  when  he  was  within  ten  paces  of  the  king  Umslopogaas 
lifted  Groan-Maker  again,  and  Galazi  held  the  Watcher  on 
high,  and  every  man  halted  where  he  was,  while  once  more 
the  dust  flew  up  in  clouds.  They  halted  in  long,  unbroken 
lines,  with  outstretched  shields  and  heads  held  low ;  no 
man’s  head  rose  more  than  the  length  of  a  dance-kerrie  from 
the  earth.  So  they  stood  one  minute,  then,  for  the  third 
time,  Umslopogaas  lifted  Groan-Maker,  and  in  an  instant 
every  man  straightened  himself,  each  shield  was  tossed  on 
high,  and  from  every  throat  was  roared  the  royal  salute, 
“  Bayete !  ” 

“A  pretty  sight  forsooth,”  quoth  Dingaan;  “but  these 
soldiers  are  too  well  drilled  who  have  never  done  me 
service  nor  the  Black  One  who  was  before  me,  and  this 
Slaughterer  is  too  good  a  captain,  I  say.  Come  hither,  ye 
twain  !  ”  he  cried  aloud. 

Then  the  Wolf-Brethren  strode  forward  and  stood  before 
the  king,  and  for  awhile  they  looked  upon  each  other. 


THE  LILY  IS  BROUGHT  TO  DINGAAN 


231 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  LILY  IS  BROUGHT  TO  DINGAAN. 

“How  are  you  named  ?  ”  said  Dingaan. 

“  We  are  named  Bulalio  the  Slaughterer  and  Galazi  the 
Wolf,  0  King,”  answered  Umslopogaas. 

“  Was  it  thou  who  didst  send  a  certain  message  to  the 
Black  One  who  is  dead,  Bulalio  ?  ” 

“Yea,  0  King,  I  sent  a  message,  but  from  all  I  have 
heard,  Masilo,  my  messenger,  gave  more  than  the  message, 
for  he  stabbed  the  Black  One.  Masilo  had  an  evil  heart.” 

Now  Dingaan  winced,  for  he  knew  well  that  he  himself 
and  one  Mopo  had  stabbed  the  Black  One,  but  he  thought 
that  this  outland  chief  had  not  heard  that  tale,  so  he  said 
no  more  of  the  message. 

“  How  is  it  that  ye  dare  to  come  before  me  armed  ? 
Know  ye  not  the  rule  that  he  who  appears  armed  before 
the  king  dies  ?  ” 

“  We  have  not  heard  that  law,  0  King,”  said  Umslopogaas. 
“  Moreover,  there  is  this  to  be  told :  by  virtue  of  the  axe  I 
bear  I  rule  alone.  If  I  am  seen  without  the  axe,  then 
any  man  may  take  my  place  who  can,  for  the  axe  is  chief- 
tainess  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  and  he  who  holds  it  is 
its  servant.” 

“  A  strange  custom,”  said  Dingaan,  “  but  let  it  pass.  And 
thou,  Wolf,  what  hast  thou  to  say  of  that  great  club  of 
thine  ?  ” 

“  There  is  this  to  be  told  of  the  club,  0  King,”  answered 
Galazi:  “by  virtue  of  the  club  I  guard  my  life.  If  I  am 
seen  without  the  club,  then  may  any  man  take  my  life  who 
can,  for  the  club  is  my  Watcher,  not  I  Watcher  of  the  club.” 

“Never  wast  thou  nearer  to  the  losing  of  both  club  and 
life,”  said  Dingaan,  angrily. 

“  It  may  be  so,  0  King,”  answered  the  Wolf.  “When  the 
hour  is,  then,  without  a  doubt,  the  Watcher  shall  cease  from 
his  watching.” 


232 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  Ye  are  a  strange  pair,”  quoth  Dingaan.  “  Where  have 
you  been  now,  and  what  is  your  business  at  the  Place  of  the 
Elephant  ?  ” 

“We  have  been  in  a  far  country,  0  King!”  answered 
Umslopogaas.  “We  have  wandered  in  a  distant  land  to 
search  for  a  Flower  to  be  a  gift  to  a  king,  and  in  our  search¬ 
ing  we  have  trampled  down  a  Swazi  garden,  and  yonder  are 
some  of  those  who  tended  it” — and  he  pointed  to  the  cap¬ 
tives — “and  without  are  the  cattle  that  ploughed  it.” 

“  Good,  Slaughterer !  I  see  the  gardeners,  and  I  hear  the 
lowing  of  the  cattle,  but  what  of  the  Flower  ?  Where  is 
this  Flower  ye  went  so  far  to  dig  in  Swazi  soil  ?  Was  it  a 
Lily-bloom,. perchance?  ” 

“It  was  a  Lily-bloom,  0  King !  and  yet,  alas !  the  Lily  has 
withered.  Nothing  is  left  but  the  stalk,  white  and  withered 
as  are  the  bones  of  men.” 

“What  meanest  thou?”  said  Dingaan,  starting  to  his 
feet. 

“That  the  king  shall  learn,”  answered  Umslopogaas;  and, 
turning,  he  spoke  a  word  to  the  captains  who  were  behind 
him.  Presently  the  ranks  opened  up,  and  four  men  ran  for¬ 
ward  from  the  rear  of  the  companies.  On  their  shoulders 
they  bore  a  stretcher,  and  upon  the  stretcher  lay  something 
wrapped  about  with  raw  ox-hides,  and  bound  round  with 
rimpis.  The  men  saluted,  and  laid  their  burden  down 
before  the  king. 

“Open!”  said  the  Slaughterer;  and  they  opened,  and 
there  within  the  hides,  packed  in  salt,  lay  the  body  of  a 
girl  who  once  was  tall  and  fair. 

“Here  lies  the  Lily’s  stalk,  0  King!”  said  Umslopogaas, 
pointing  with  the  axe,  “  but  if  her  flower  blooms  on  any 
air,  it  is  not  here.” 

Now  Dingaan  stared  at  the  sight  of  death,  and  bitterness 
of  heart  took  hold  of  him,  since  he  had  desired  above  all 
things  to  win  the  beauty  of  the  Lily  for  himself. 

“  Bear  away  this  carrion  and  cast  it  to  the  dogs  !  ”  he 
cried,  for  thus  he  could  speak  of  her  whom  he  would  have 
taken  to  wife,  when  once  he  deemed  her  dead.  “  Take  it 
away,  and  thou,  Slaughterer,  tell  me  how  it  came  about 


THE  LILY  IS  BROUGHT  TO  DING  A  AN  233 

that  the  maid  was  slain.  It  will  be  well  for  thee  if  thou 
hast  a  good  answer,  for  know  thy  life  hangs  on  the  words.” 

So  Umslopogaas  told  the  king  all  that  tale  which  had 
been  made  ready  against  the  wrath  of  Dingaan.  And  when 
he  had  finished  Galazi  told  his  story,  of  how  he  had  seen  the 
soldier  kill  the  maid,  and  in  his  wrath  had  killed  the  soldier. 
Then  certain  of  the  captains  who  had  seen  the  soldier  and 
the  maid  lying  in  one  death  came  forward  and  spoke  to  it. 

Now  Dingaan  was  very  angry,  and  yet  there  was  nothing 
to  be  done.  The  Lily  was  dead,  and  by  no  fault  of  any 
except  of  one,  who  was  also  dead  and  beyond  his  reach. 

“  Get  you  hence,  you  and  your  people,”  he  said  to  the 
Wolf-Brethren.  aI  take  the  cattle  and  the  captives.  Be 
thankful  that  I  do  not  take  all  your  lives  also — first,  because 
ye  have  dared  to  make  war  without  my  word,  and  secondly, 
because,  having  made  war,  ye  have  so  brought  it  about  that, 
though  ye  bring  me  the  body  of  her  I  sought,  ye  do  not 
bring  the  life.” 

Now  when  the  king  spoke  of  taking  the  lives  of  all  the 
People  of  the  Axe,  Umslopogaas  smiled  grimly  and  glanced 
at  his  companies.  Then  saluting  the  king,  he  turned  to  go. 
But  as  he  turned  a  man  sprang  forward  from  the  ranks 
and  called  to  Dingaan,  saying : — 

“  Is  it  granted  that  I  may  speak  truth  before  the  king, 
and  afterwards  sleep  in  the  king’s  shadow  ?  ” 

Now  this  was  that  man  who  had  been  captain  of  the 
guard  on  the  night  when  three  passed  out  through  the  arch¬ 
way  and  two  returned,  that  same  man  whom  Umslopogaas 
had  degraded  from  his  rank. 

“  Speak  on,  thou  art  safe,”  answered  Dingaan. 

“  0  King,  thy  ears  have  been  filled  with  lies,”  said  the 
soldier.  “  Hearken,  0  King  !  I  was  captain  of  the  guard  of 
the  gate  on  that  night  of  the  slaying  of  the  Halakazi.  Three 
came  to  the  gate  of  the  mountain — they  were  Bulalio,  the 
Wolf  Galazi,  and  another.  That  other  was  tall  and  slim, 
bearing  a  shield  high — so.  As  the  third  passed  the  gate,  the 
kaross  he  wore  brushed  against  me  and  slipped  aside.  Be¬ 
neath  that  kaross  was  no  man’s  breast,  0  King,  but  the  shape 
of  a  woman,  almost  white  in  colour,  and  very  fair.  In 


234 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


drawing  back  the  kaross  this  third  one  moved  the  shield 
Behind  that  shield  was  no  maids  face,  0  King,  but  the  face 
of  a  girl,  lovelier  than  the  moon,  and  having  eyes  brighter 
than  the  stars.  Three  went  out  at  the  mountain  gate,  0 
King,  only  two  returned,  and,  peeping  after  them,  it 
seemed  that  I  saw  the  third  running  swiftly  across  the 
plains,  as  a  young  maid  runs,  0  King.  This  also,  Elephant, 
Bulalio  yonder  denied  me  when,  as  captain  of  the  guard,  I 
asked  for  the  third  who  had  passed  the  gate,  saying  that 
only  two  had  passed.  Further,  none  of  the  captives  were 
called  to  swear  to  the  body  of  the  maid,  and  now  it  is  too 
late,  and  that  man  who  lay  beside  her  was  not  killed  by 
Galazi  in  the  cave.  He  was  killed  outside  the  cave  by  a 
blow  of  a  Halakazi  kerrie.  I  saw  him  fall  with  my  own 
eyes,  and  slew  the  man  who  smote  him.  One  thing  more, 
King  of  the  World,  the  best  of  the  captives  and  the  cattle 
are  not  here  for  a  gift  to  thee — they  are  at  the  kraal  of 
Bulalio,  Chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.  I  have  spoken,  O 
King,  yes,  because  my  heart  loves  not  lies.  I  have  spoken 
the  truth,  and  now  do  thou  protect  me  from  these  Wolf- 
Brethren,  0  King,  for  they  are  very  fierce.” 

Now  all  this  while  that  the  traitor  told  his  tale  Umslopo- 
gaas,  inch  by  inch,  was  edging  nearer  to  him  and  yet  nearer, 
till  at  length  he  might  have  touched  him  with  an  out¬ 
stretched  spear.  None  noted  him  except  I,  Mopo,  alone, 
and  perhaps  Galazi,  for  all  were  watching  the  face  of 
Dingaan  as  men  watch  a  storm  that  is  about  to  burst. 

“  Fear  thou  not  the  Wolf-Brethren,  soldier,”  gasped  Din¬ 
gaan,  rolling  his  red  eyes  ;  “  the  paw  of  the  Lion  guards 
thee,  my  servant.” 

Ere  the  words  had  left  the  king’s  lips  the  Slaughterer 
leapt.  He  leaped  full  on  to  the  traitor,  speaking  never  a 
word,  and  oh !  his  eyes  were  awful.  He  leaped  upon  him, 
he  seized  him  with  his  hands,  lifting  no  weapon,  and  in  his 
terrible  might  he  broke  him  as  a  child  breaks  a  stick — nay, 
I  know  not  how,  it  was  too  swift  to  see.  He  broke  him, 
and,  hurling  him  on  high,  cast  him  dead  at  the  feet  of 
Dingaan,  crying  in  a  great  voice  : — 

“  Take  thy  servant,  King!  Surely  he  ‘  sleeps  in  thy 
shadow’!” 


«  Take  thy  servant,  king-  ;  surely  “  he  sleeps  in  thy  shadow 


n  f 


THE  LILY  IS  BROUGHT  TO  DING  A  AN 


235 


Then  there  was  silence,  only  through  the  silence  was 
heard  a  gasp  of  fear  and  wonder,  for  no  such  deed  as  this 
had  been  wrought  in  the  presence  of  the  king— no,  not  since 
the  day  of  Senzangacona  the  Boot. 

Now  Dingaan  spoke,  and  his  voice  came  thick  with  rage, 
and  his  limbs  trembled. 

“Slay  him!”  he  hissed.  “Slay  the  dog  and  all  those 
with  him  !  ” 

“Now  we  come  to  a  game  which  I  can  play,”  answered 
Umslopogaas.  “Ho,  People  of  the  Axe  !  Will  you  stand  to 
be  slaughtered  by  these  singed  rats  ?  ”  and  he  pointed  with 
Groan-Maker  at  those  warriors  who  had  escaped  without 
hurt  in  the  lire,  but  whose  faces  the  lire  had  scorched. 

Then  for  answer  a  great  shout  went  up,  a  shout  and  a 
roar  of  laughter.  And  this  was  the  shout : — 

“No,  Slaughterer,  not  so  are  we  minded !  ”  and  right  and 
left  they  faced  to  meet  the  foe,  while  from  all  along  the 
companies  came  the  crackling  of  the  shaken  shields. 

Back  sprang  Umslopogaas  to  head  his  men;  forward 
leaped  the  soldiers  of  the  king  to  work  the  king’s  will,  if  so 
they  might.  And  Galazi  the  Wolf  also  sprang  forward 
towards  Dingaan,  and,  as  he  sprang,  swung  up  the  Watcher, 
crying  in  a  great  voice  : — 

“  Hold !  ” 

Again  there  was  silence,  for  men  saw  that  the  shadow  of 
the  Watcher  lay  dark  upon  the  head  of  Dingaan. 

“It  is  a  pity  that  many  should  die  when  one  will  suffice,” 
cried  the  Wolf  again.  “Let  a  blow  be  struck,  and  where 
his  shadow  lies  there  shall  the  Watcher  be,  and  lo !  the 
world  shall  lack  a  king.  A  word,  King!  ” 

Now  Dingaan  looked  up  at  the  great  man  who  stood 
above  him,  and  felt  the  shadow  of  the  shining  club  lie  cold 
upon  his  brow,  and  again  he  shook — this  time  it  was  with 
fear. 

“Begone  in  peace  !”  he  said. 

“  A  good  word  for  thee,  King,”  said  the  Wolf,  grinning, 
and  slowly  he  drew  himself  backwards  towards  the  com¬ 
panies,  saying,  «  Praise  the  king !  The  king  bids  his  chil¬ 
dren  go  in  peace.” 


236 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


But  when  Dingaan  felt  that  his  brow  was  no  longer  cold 
with  the  shadow  of  death  his  rage  came  back  to  him,  and 
he  would  have  called  to  the  soldiers  to  fall  upon  the  People 
of  the  Axe,  only  I  stayed  him,  saying : — 

“  Thy  death  is  in  it,  0  King  ;  the  Slaughterer  will  grind 
such  men  as  thou  hast  here  beneath  his  feet,  and  then  once 
more  shall  the  Watcher  look  upon  thee.” 

Now  Dingaan  saw  that  this  was  true,  and  gave  no  com¬ 
mand,  for  he  had  only  those  men  with  him  whom  the  lire 
had  left.  All  the  rest  were  gone  to  slaughter  the  Boers  in 
Natal.  Still,  he  must  have  blood,  so  he  turned  on  me. 

“  Thou  art  a  traitor,  Mopo,  as  I  have  known  for  long, 
and  I  will  serve  thee  as  yonder  dog  served  his  faithless 
servant!”  and  he  thrust  at  me  with  the  assegai  in  his 
hand. 

But  I  saw  the  stroke,  and,  springing  high  into  the  air, 
avoided  it.  Then  I  turned  and  fled  very  swiftly,  and 
after  me  came  certain  of  the  soldiers.  The  way  was  not 
far  to  the  last  company  of  the  People  of  the  Axe ;  moreover, 
it  saw  me  coming,  and,  headed  by  Umslopogaas,  who  walked 
behind  them  all,  ran  to  meet  me.  Then  the  soldiers  who 
followed  to  kill  me  hung  back  out  of  reach  of  the  axe. 

“  Here  with  the  king  is  no  place  for  me  any  more,  my 
son,”  I  said  to  Umslopogaas. 

“Fear  not,  my  father,  I  will  find  you  a  place,”  he 
answered. 

Then  I  called  a  message  to  the  soldiers  who  followed 
me,  saying : — 

“  Tell  this  to  the  king :  that  he  has  done  ill  to  drive 
me  from  him,  for  I,  Mopo,  set  him  on  the  throne  and  I 
alone  can  hold  him  there.  Tell  him  this  also,  that  he  will 
do  yet  worse  to  seek  me  where  I  am,  for  that  day  when 
we  are  once  more  face  to  face  shall  be  his  day  of  death. 
Thus  speaks  Mopo  the  inyanga,  Mopo  the  doctor,  who  never 
yet  prophesied  that  which  should  not  be.” 

Then  we  marched  from  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu,  and 
when  next  I  saw  that  kraal  it  was  to  burn  all  of  it  which 
Dingaan  had  left  unburnt,  and  when  next  I  saw  Dingaan 
— ah !  that  is  to  be  told  of,  my  father. 


THE  LILY  IS  BROUGHT  TO  DINGAAN 


2  37 


We  marched  from  the  kraal,  none  hindering  us,  for  there 
were  none  to  hinder,  and  after  we  had  gone  -a  little  way 
Umslopogaas  halted  and  said: — 

“Now  it  is  in  my  mind  to  return  whence  we  came  and 
slay  this  Dingaan,  ere  he  slay  me.” 

“Yet  it  is  well  to  leave  a  frightened  lion  in  his  thicket, 
my  son,  for  a  lion  at  bay  is  hard  to  handle.  Doubt  not 
that  every  man,  young  and  old,  in  Umgugundhlovu  now 
stands  armed  about  the  gates,  lest  such  a  thought  should 
take  you,  my  son ;  and  though  just  now  he  was  afraid,  yet 
Dingaan  will  strike  for  his  life.  When  you  might  have 
killed  you  did  not  kill ;  now  the  hour  lias  gone.” 

“Wise  words  !”  said  Galazi.  “I  would  that  the  Watcher 
had  fallen  where  his  shadow  fell.” 

“What  is  your  counsel  now,  father?”  asked  Umslopo¬ 
gaas. 

“  This,  then :  that  you  two  should  abide  no  more  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  Ghost  Mountain,  but  should  gather  your 
people  and  your  cattle,  and  pass  to  the  north  on  the  track  of 
Mosilikatze  the  Lion,  who  broke  away  from  Chaka.  There 
you  may  rule  apart  or  together,  and  never  dream  of  Din¬ 
gaan.” 

“I  will  not  do  that,  father,”  he  answered.  “I  will 
dwell  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Ghost  Mountain  while 
I  may.” 

“  And  so  will  I,”  said  Galazi,  “  or  rather  among  its  rocks. 
What !  shall  my  wolves  lack  a  master  when  they  would  go 
a-hunting  ?  Shall  Greysnout  and  Blackfang,  Blood  and 
Deathgrip,  and  their  company  black  and  grey,  howl  for  me 
in  vain  ?  ” 

“So  be  it,  children.  Ye  are  young  and  will  not  listen 
to  the  counsel  of  the  old.  Let  it  befall  as  it  chances.” 

I  spoke  thus,  for  I  did  not  know  then  why  Umslopogaas 
would  not  leave  his  kraals.  It  was  for  this  reason :  because 
he  had  bidden  Nada  meet  him  there. 

Afterwards,  when  he  found  her  he  would  have  gone,  but 
then  the  sky  was  clear,  the  danger-clouds  had  melted  for 
awhile. 

Oh !  that  Umslopogaas  my  fosterling  had  listened  to  me ! 


238 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  lie  would  have  reigned  as  a  king,  not  wandered  an  out 
cast  in  strange  lands  I  know  not  where ;  and  Nada  should 
have  lived,  not  died,  nor  would  the  People  of  the  Axe  have 
ceased  to  be  a  people. 

This  of  Dingaan.  When  he  heard  my  message  he  grew 
afraid  once  more,  for  he  knew  me  to  be  no  liar. 

Therefore  he  held  his  hand  for  awhile,  sending  no  impi  to 
smite  Umslopogaas,  lest  it  might  come  about  that  I  should 
bring  him  his  death  as  I  had  promised.  And  before  the 
fear  had  worn  away,  it  happened  that  Dingaan’s  hands 
were  full  with  the  war  against  the  Amaboona,  because  of 
his  slaughter  of  the  white  people,  and  he  had  no  soldiers 
to  spare  with  whom  to  wreak  vengeance  on  a  petty  chief 
living  far  away. 

Yet  his  rage  was  great  because  of  what  had  chanced, 
and,  after  his  custom,  he  murdered  many  innocent  people 
to  satisfy  it. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

MOPO  TELLS  HIS  TALE. 

Now  afterwards,  as  we  went  upon  our  road,  Umslopogaas 
told  me  all  there  was  to  tell  of  the  slaying  of  the  Halakazi 
and  of  the  finding  of  Xada. 

When  I  heard  that  Xada,  my  daughter,  still  lived,  I  wept 
for  joy,  though  like  Umslopogaas  I  was  torn  by  doubt  and 
fear,  for  it  is  far  for  an  unaided  maid  to  travel  from 
Swaziland  to  the  Ghost  Mountain.  Yet  all  this  while  I  said 
nothing  to  Umslopogaas  of  the  truth  as  to  his  birth,  because 
on  the  journey  there  were  many  around  us,  and  the  very  trees 
have  ears,  and  the  same  wind  to  which  we  whispered  might 
whisper  to  the  king.  Still  I  knew  that  the  hour  had  now 
come  when  I  must  speak,  for  it  was  in  my  mind  to  bring 
it  about  that  Umslopogaas  should  be  proclaimed  the  son 
of  Chaka,  and  be  made  king  of  the  Zulus  in  the  place  of 
Uingaan,  his  uncle.  Yet  all  these  things  had  gone  cross  for 


MOPO  TELLS  HIS  TALE. 


239 


us,  because  it  was  fated  so,  my  father.  Had  I  known  that 
Umslopogaas  still  lived  when  I  slew  Chaka,  then  I  think 
that  I  could  have  brought  it  about  that  he  should  be 
king.  Or  had  things  fallen  out  as  I  planned,  and  the  Lily 
maid  been  brought  to  Dingaan,  and  Umslopogaas  grown 
great  in  his  sight,  then,  perhaps,  I  could  have  brought  it 
about.  But  all  things  had  gone  wrong.  The  Lily  was  none 
other  than  Nada;  and  how  could  Umslopogaas  give  Nada, 
whom  he  thought  his  sister,  and  who  was  my  daughter,  to 
Dingaan  against  her  will  ?  Also,  because  of  Nada,  Dingaan 
and  Umslopogaas  were  now  at  bitter  enmity,  and  for  this 
same  cause  I  was  disgraced  and  a  fugitive,  and  my  counsels 
would  no  longer  be  heard  in  the  ear  of  the  king. 

So  everything  must  be  begun  afresh:  and  as  I  walked 
with  the  impi  towards  the  Ghost  Mountain,  I  thought  much 
and  often  of  the  manner  in  which  this  might  be  done.  But 
as  yet  I  said  nothing. 

Now  at  last  we  were  beneath  the  Ghost  Mountain,  and 
looked  on  the  stone  face  of  the  old  Witch  who  sits  there 
aloft  forever  waiting  for  the  world  to  die ;  and  that  same 
night  we  came  to  the  kraal  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  and 
entered  it  with  a  great  singing.  But  Galazi  did  not  enter  at 
that  time;  he  was  away  to  the  mountain  to  call  his  flock 
of  wolves,  and  as  we  passed  its  foot  we  heard  the  welcome 
that  the  wolves  howled  in  greeting  to  him. 

Now  as  we  drew  near  the  kraal,  all  the  women  and  chil¬ 
dren  came  out  to  meet  us,  headed  by  Zinita,  the  head  wife 
of  Umslopogaas.  They  came  joyfully,  but  when  they  found 
how  many  were  wanting  who  a  moon  before  had  gone  thence 
to  light,  their  joy  was  turned  to  mourning,  and  the  voice 
of  their  weeping  went  up  to  heaven. 

Umslopogaas  greeted  Zinita  kindly;  and  yet  I  thought 
that  there  was  something  lacking.  At  first  she  spoke  to  him 
softly,  but  when  she  learned  all  that  had  come  to  pass,  her 
words  were  not  soft,  for  she  reviled  me  and  sang  a  loud 
song  at  Umslopogaas. 

“  See  now,  Slaughterer,”  she  said,  “  see  now  what  has 
jome  about  because  you  have  listened  to  this  aged  fool!” — 
that  was  I,  my  father — “this  fool  who  calls  himself  ‘Mouth ' ! 


240 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Ay,  a  mouth,  he  is,  a  mouth  out  of  which  proceed  folly  and 
lies !  What  did  he  counsel  you  to  do  ? — to  go  up  against 
these  Halakazi  and  win  a  girl  for  Dingaan !  And  what 
have  you  done  ? — you  have  fallen  upon  the  Halakazi, 
and  doubtless  have  killed  many  innocent  people  with  that 
great  axe  of  yours,  also  you  have  left  nearly  half  of  the 
soldiers  of  the  Axe  to  whiten  in  the  Swazi  caves,  and  in 
exchange  have  brought  back  certain  cattle  of  a  small  breed, 
and  girls  and  children  whom  we  must  nourish  ! 

“  Nor  does  the  matter  end  here.  You  went,  it  seems,  to 
win  a  girl  whom  Dingaan  desired,  yet  when  you  find  that 
girl  you  let  her  go,  because,  indeed,  you  say  she  was  your 
sister  and  would  not  wed  Dingaan.  Forsooth,  is  not  the 
king  good  enough  for  this  sister  of  yours  ?  Now  what  is 
the  end  of  the  tale  ?  You  try  to  play  tricks  on  the  king, 
because  of  your  sister,  and  are  found  out.  Then  you  kill  a 
man  before  Dingaan  and  escape,  bringing  this  fool  of  an 
aged  Mouth  with  you,  that  he  may  teach  you  his  own  folly. 
So  you  have  lost  half  of  your  men,  and  you  have  gained 
the  king  for  a  foe  who  shall  bring  about  the  death  of  all 
of  us,  and  a  fool  for  a  councillor.  Wow  !  Slaughterer,  keep 
to  your  trade  and  let  others  find  you  wit.” 

Thus  she  spoke  without  ceasing,  and  there  was  some  truth 
in  her  words.  Zinita  had  a  bitter  tongue.  I  sat  silent 
till  she  had  finished,  and  Umslopogaas  also  remained  silent, 
though  his  anger  was  great,  because  there  was  no  crack  in 
her  talk  through  which  a  man  might  thrust  a  word. 

“ Peace,  woman!  ”  I  said  at  length,  “do  not  speak  ill  of 
those  who  are  wise  and  who  had  seen  much  before  you 
were  born.” 

“  Speak  no  ill  of  him  who  is  my  father,”  growled  Umslo¬ 
pogaas.  “  Ay  !  though  you  do  not  know  it,  this  Mouth  whom 
you  revile  is  Mopo,  my  father.” 

“  Then  there  is  a  man  among  the  People  of  the  Axe  who 
has  a  fool  for  a  father.  Of  all  tidings  this  is  the  worst.” 

“  There  is  a  man  among  the  People  of  the  Axe  who  has 
a  jade  and  a  scold  for  a  wife,”  said  Umslopogaas,  springing 
up.  “  Begone,  Zinita ! — and  know  this,  that  if  I  hear  you 
snarl  more  such  words  of  him  who  is  my  father,  you  shall 


MOPO  TELLS  HIS  TALE. 


241 


go  further  than  your  own  hut,  for  I  will  put  you  away  and 
drive  you  from  my  kraal.  I  have  suffered  you  too  long.” 

“  I  go,”  said  Zinita.  “  Oh !  I  am  well  served  !  I  made 
you  chief,  and  now  you  threaten  to  put  me  away.” 

“My  own  hands  made  me  chief,”  said  Umslopogaas,  and, 
springing  up,  he  thrust  her  from  the  hut. 

“  It  is  a  poor  thing  to  be  wedded  to  such  a  woman,  my 
father,”  he  said  presently. 

“  Yes,  a  poor  thing,  Umslopogaas,  yet  these  are  the  bur¬ 
dens  that  men  must  bear.  Learn  wisdom  from  it,  Umslo¬ 
pogaas,  and  have  as  little  to  do  with  women  as  may  be ;  at 
the  least,  do  not  love  them  overmuch,  so  shall  you  find  the 
more  peace.”  Thus  I  spoke,  smiling,  and  would  that  he 
had  listened  to  my  counsel,  for  it  is  the  love  of  women 
which  has  brought  ruin  on  Umslopogaas ! 

All  this  was  many  years  ago,  and  but  lately  I  have  heard 
that  Umslopogaas  is  fled  into  the  North,  and  become  a 
wanderer  to  his  death  because  of  the  matter  of  a  woman 
who  betrayed  him,  making  it  seem  that  he  had  murdered 
one  Lousta,  who  was  his  blood  brother,  just  as  Galazi  had 
been.  I  do  not  know  how  it  came  about,  but  he  who  was  so 
fierce  and  strong  had  that  weakness  like  his  uncle  Dingaan, 
and  it  has  destroyed  him  at  the  last,  and  for  this  cause  I 
shall  behold  him  no  more. 

Now,  my  father,  for  awhile  we  were  silent  and  alone  in 
the  hut,  and  as  we  sat  I  thought  that  I  heard  a  rat  stir  in 
the  thatch. 

Then  I  spoke.  “Umslopogaas,  at  length  the  hour  has 
come  that  I  should  whisper  something  into  your  ear,  a  word 
which  I  have  held  secret  ever  since  you  were  born.” 

“  Speak  on,  my  father,”  he  said,  wondering. 

I  crept  to  the  door  of  the  hut  and  looked  out.  The 
night  was  dark  and  I  could  see  none  about,  and  could  hear 
no  one  move,  yet,  being  cautious,  I  walked  round  the  hut. 
Ah,  my  father,  when  you  have  a  secret  to  tell,  be  not  so 
easily  deceived.  It  is  not  enough  to  look  forth  and  to 
peer  round.  Dig  beneath  the  floor  and  search  the  roof 
also;  then,  having  done  all  this,  go  elsewhere  and  tell  your 
tale.  The  woman  was  right :  I  was  but  a  fool,  for  all  my 

R 


242 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


wisdom  and  my  white  hairs.  Had  I  not  been  a  fool  1 
should  have  smoked  out  that  rat  in  the  thatch  before  ever 
I  opened  my  lips.  For  the  rat  was  Zinita,  my  father — Zinita, 
who  had  climbed  the  hut,  and  now  lay  there  in  the  dark, 
her  ear  upon  the  smoke-hole,  listening  to  every  word  that 
passed.  It  was  a  wicked  thing  to  do,  and,  moreover,  the 
worst  of  omens,  but  there  is  little  honour  among  women 
when  they  would  learn  that  which  others  wish  to  hide  away 
from  them,  nor,  indeed,  do  they  then  weigh  omens. 

So  having  searched  and  found  nothing,  I  spoke  to 
Umslopogaas,  my  fosterling,  not  knowing  that  death  in  a 
woman’s  shape  lay  on  the  hut  above  us.  “  Hearken,”  I 
said,  “you  are  no  son  of  mine,  Umslopogaas,  though  you 
have  called  me  father  from  a  babe.  You  spring  from  a 
loftier  stock,  Slaughterer.” 

“Yet  I  was  well  pleased  with  my  fathering,  old  man,” 
said  Umslopogaas,  “the  breed  is  good  enough  for  me.  Say, 
then,  whose  son  am  I  ?  ” 

Now  I  bent  forward  and  whispered  to  him,  yet,  alas!  not 
low  enough.  “  You  are  the  son  of  the  Black  One  who  is 
dead,  yea,  sprung  from  the  blood  of  Chaka  and  of  Baleka, 
my  sister.” 

“  I  still  have  some  kinship  with  you  then,  Mopo,  and  that 
I  am  glad  of.  Wow  !  who  would  have  guessed  that  I  was 
the  son  of  that  Silwana,  of  that  hyaena  man  ?  Perhaps 
it  is  for  this  reason  that,  like  Galazi,  I  love  the  company 
of  the  wolves,  though  no  love  grows  in  my  heart  for  my 
father  or  any  of  his  house.” 

“  You  have  little  cause  to  love  him,  Umslopogaas,  for  he 
murdered  your  mother,  Baleka,  and  would  have  slain  you 
also.  But  you  are  the  son  of  Chaka  and  of  no  other  man.” 

“Well,  his  eyes  must  be  keen  indeed,  my  uncle,  who  can 
pick  his  own  father  out  of  a  crowd.  And  yet  I  once  heard 
this  tale  before,  though  I  had  long  ago  forgotten  it.” 

“From  whom  did  you  hear  it,  Umslopogaas?  An  hour 
since,  it  was  known  to  one  alone,  the  others  are  dead  who 
knew  it.  Now  it  is  known  to  two” — ah  !  my  father,  I  did 
not  guess  of  the  third ; — “  from  whom,  then,  did  you  hear 
it  ?  ” 


MOPO  TELLS  HIS  TALE. 


243 


“ It  was  from  the  dead;  at  least,  Galazi  the  Wolf  heard 
it  from  the  dead  One  who  sat  in  the  cave  on  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain,  for  the  dead  One  told  him  that  a  man  would  come  to 
be  his  brother  who  should  be  named  Umslopogaas  Bulalio, 
son  of  Chaka,  and  Galazi  repeated  it  to  me,  but  I  had  long 
forgotten  it.” 

“  It  seems  that  there  is  wisdom  among  the  dead,”  I  an¬ 
swered,  “for  lo!  to-day  you  are  named  Umslopogaas  Bulalio, 
and  to-day  I  declare  you  the  son  of  Chaka.  But  listen  to 
my  tale.” 

Then  I  told  him  all  the  story  from  the  hour  of  his  birth 
onwards,  and  when  I  spoke  of  the  words  of  his  mother, 
Baleka,  after  I  had  told  my  dream  to  her,  and  of  the  man¬ 
ner  of  her  death  by  the  command  of  Chaka,  and  of  the 
great  fashiou  in  which  she  had  died,  then,  I  say,  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  wept,  who,  I  think,  seldom  wept  before  or  after.  But 
as  my  tale  grew  to  its  end  I  saw  that  he  listened  ill,  as  a 
man  listens  who  has  a  weightier  matter  pressing  on  his 
heart,  and  before  it  was  well  done  he  broke  in : — 

“So,  Mopo,  my  uncle,  if  I  am  the  son  of  Chaka  and 
Baleka,  Nada  the  Lily  is  no  sister  to  me.” 

“Nay,  Umslopogaas,  she  is  only  your  cousin.” 

“Over  near  of  blood,”  he  said;  “yet  that  shall  not  stand 
between  us,”  and  his  face  grew  glad. 

I  looked  at  him  in  question. 

“  You  grow  dull,  my  uncle.  This  is  my  meaning :  that 
1  will  marry  Nada  if  she  still  lives,  for  it  comes  upon  me 
now  that  I  have  never  loved  any  woman  as  I  love  Nada  the 
Lily,”  and  while  he  spoke,  once  more  I  heard  the  rat  stir  in 
the  thatch  of  the  hut. 

“Wed  her  if  you  will,  Umslopogaas,”  I  answered,  “yet 
I  think  that  one  Zinita,  your  Inkosikasi,  will  find  words  to 
say  in  the  matter.” 

“  Zinita  is  my  head  wife  indeed,  but  shall  she  hold  me 
back  from  taking  other  wives,  after  the  lawful  custom  of 
our  people  ?  ”  he  asked  angrily,  and  his  anger  showed  me 
that  he  feared  the  wrath  of  Zinita. 

“  The  custom  is  lawful  and  good,”  I  said,  “  but  it  has 
ored  trouble  at  times.  Zinita  can  have  little  to  say  if  she 

it  2 


244 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


continues  in  her  place  and  you  still  love  her  as  of  old. 
But  enough  of  her.  Nada  is  not  yet  at  your  gates,  and  per¬ 
haps  she  will  never  find  them.  See,  Umslopogaas,  it  is 
my  desire  that  you  should  rule  in  Zululand  by  right  of 
blood,  and,  though  things  point  otherwise,  yet  I  think  a 
way  can  be  found  to  bring  it  about.” 

“  How  so  ?  ”  he  asked. 

“  Thus  :  Many  of  the  great  chiefs  who  are  friends  to  me 
hate  Dingaan  and  fear  him,  and  did  they  know  that  a  son 
of  Chaka  lived,  and  that  son  the  Slaughterer,  he  well  might 
climb  to  the  throne  upon  their  shoulders.  Also  the  sol¬ 
diers  love  the  name  of  Chaka,  though  he  dealt  cruelly 
with  them,  because  at  least  he  was  brave  and  generous. 
But  they  do  not  love  Dingaan,  for  his  burdens  are  the 
bui dens  of  Chaka  but  his  gifts  are  the  gifts  of  Dingaan; 
therefore  they  would  welcome  Chaka’ s  son  if  once  they  knew 
him  for  certain.  But  it  is  here  that  the  necklet  chafes,  for 
there  is  but  my  word  to  prove  it.  Yet  I  will  try.” 

“  Perhaps  it  is  worth  trying  and  perhaps  it  is  not,  my 
uncle,”  answered  Umslopogaas.  “  One  thing  I  know :  I 
had  rather  see  Nada  at  my  gates  to-night  than  hear  all 
the  chiefs  in  the  land  crying  ‘  Hail,  O  King !  ’  ” 

“You  will  live  to  think  otherwise,  Umslopogaas;  and 
now  spies  must  be  set  at  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu  to  give 
us  warning  of  the  mind  of  the  king,  lest  he  should  send 
an  impi  suddenly  to  eat  you  up.  Perhaps  his  hands  may 
be  too  full  for  that  ere  long,  for  those  white  Amaboona  will 
answer  his  assegais  with  bullets.  And  one  more  word :  let 
nothing  be  said  of  this  matter  of  your  birth,  least  of  all  to 
Zinita  your  wife,  or  to  any  other  woman.” 

“Fear  not,  uncle,”  he  answered;  “I  know  howT  to  be 
silent.” 

Now  after  awhile  Umslopogaas  left  me  and  went  to  the 
hut  of  Zinita,  his  Inkosikasi,  where  she  lay  wrapped  in  her 
blankets,  and,  as  it  seemed,  asleep. 

“  Greeting,  my  husband,”  she  said  slowly,  like  one  who 
wakens.  “I  have  dreamed  a  strange  dream  of  you.  I 
dreamed  that  you  were  called  a  king,  and  that  all  the  regb 


MOPO  TELLS  HIS  TALE. 


245 


ments  of  the  Zulus  filed  past  giving  you  the  royal  salute, 
Baydte.” 

Umslopogaas  looked  at  her  wondering,  for  he  did  not  know 
if  she  had  learned  something  or  if  this  was  an  omen.  “Such 
dreams  are  dangerous,”  he  said,  “  and  he  who  dreams  them 
does  well  to  lock  them  fast  till  they  be  forgotten.” 

“  Or  fulfilled,”  said  Zinita,  and  again  Umslopogaas  looked 
at  her  wondering. 

blow  after  this  night  I  began  my  work,  for  I  established 
spies  at  the  kraal  of  Dingaan,  and  from  them  I  learned  all 
that  passed  with  the  king. 

At  first  he  gave  orders  that  an  impi  should  be  summoned 
to  eat  up  the  People  of  the  Axe,  but  afterwards  came  tid¬ 
ings  that  the  Boers,  to  the  number  of  five  hundred  mounted 
men,  were  marching  on  the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu.  So 
Dingaan  had  no  impi  to  spare  to  send  to  the  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain,  and  we  who  w^ere  beneath  its  shadow  dwelt  there  in 
peace. 

This  time  the  Boers  were  beaten,  for  Bogoza,  the  spy,  led 
them  into  an  ambush ;  still  few  were  killed,  and  they  did 
but  draw  back  that  they  might  jump  the  further,  and  Din¬ 
gaan  knew  this.  At  this  time  also  the  English  white  men 
of  Natal,  the  people  of  George,  who  attacked  Dingaan  by 
the  Lower  Tugela,  were  slain  by  our  soldiers,  and  those 
with  them. 

Also,  by  the  help  of  certain  witch-doctors,  I  filled  the  land 
with  rumours,  prophecies,  and  dark  sayings,  and  I  worked 
cunningly  on  the  minds  of  many  chiefs  that  were  known  to 
me,  sending  them  messages  hardly  to  be  understood,  such  as 
should  prepare  their  thoughts  for  the  coming  of  one  who 
should  be  declared  to  them.  They  listened,  but  the  task 
was  long,  for  the  men  dAvelt  far  apart,  and  some  of  them 
were  away  with  the  regiments. 

So  the  time  went  by,  till  many  days  had  passed  since  we 
reached  the  Ghost  Mountain.  Umslopogaas  had  no  more 
words  with  Zinita,  but  she  always  watched  him,  and  he  went 
heavily.  For  he  awaited  Nada,  and  Nada  did  not  come. 


But  at  length  Nada  came. 


246 


NADA  THE  LILY 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  COMING  OF  NADA. 

One  night — it  was  a  night  of  full  moon — I  sat  alone  with 
Umslopogaas  in  my  hut,  and  we  spoke  of  the  matter  of  our 
plots ;  then,  when  we  had  finished  that  talk,  we  spoke  of 
Nada  the  Lily. 

“Alas!  my  uncle,”  said  Umslopogaas  sadly,  “we  shall 
never  look  more  on  Nada ;  she  is  surely  dead  or  in  bonds, 
otherwise  she  had  been  here  long  ago.  I  have  sought  far 
and  wide,  and  can  hear  no  tidings  and  find  nothing.’’ 

“All  that  is  hidden  is  not  lost,”  I  answered;  yet  I  my¬ 
self  believed  that  there  was  an  end  of  Nada. 

Then  we  were  silent  awhile,  and  presently,  in  the  silence, 
a  dog  barked.  We  rose,  and  crept  out  of  the  hut  to  see 
what  it  might  be  that  stirred,  for  the  night  drew  on,  and  it 
was  needful  to  be  wary,  since  a  dog  might  bark  at  the  stir¬ 
ring  of  a  leaf,  or  perhaps  it  might  be  the  distant  footfall 
of  an  impi  that  it  heard. 

We  had  not  far  to  look,  for  standing  gazing  at  the  huts, 
like  one  who  is  afraid  to  call,  was  a  tall  slim  man,  holding 
an  assegai  in  one  hand  and  a  little  shield  in  the  other.  v 
We  could  not  see  the  face  of  the  man,  because  the  light 
was  behind  him,  and  a  ragged  blanket  hung  about  his 
shoulders.  Also,  he  was  footsore,  for  he  rested  on  one  leg. 
Now  we  were  peering  round  the  hut,  and  its  shadow  hid 
us,  so  that  the  man  saw  nothing.  For  awhile  he  stood  still, 
then  he  spoke  to  himself,  and  his  voice  was  strangely  soft. 

“Here  are  many  huts,”  said  the  voice,  “now  how  may 
I  know  which  is  the  house  of  my  brother  ?  Perhaps  if  I 
call  I  shall  bring  soldiers  to  me,  and  be  forced  to  play  the 
man  before  them,  and  I  am  weary  of  that.  Well,  I  will  lie 
here  under  the  fence  till  morning ;  it  is  a  softer  bed  than 
some  I  have  found,  and  I  am  worn  out  with  travel — sleep 
I  must,”  and  the  figure  sighed  and  turned  so  that  the  light 
of  the  moon  fell  full  upon  its  face. 


THE  COMING  OF  NAD  A 


247 


My  father,  it  was  the  face  of  Nada,  my  daughter,  whom 
I  had  not  seen  for  so  many  years,  yet  across  the  years  I 
knew  it  at  once ;  yes,  though  the  bud  had  become  a 
dower  I  knew  it.  The  face  was  weary  and  worn,  but  ah ! 
it  was  beautiful,  never  before  nor  since  have  I  seen  such 
beauty,  for  there  was  this  about  the  loveliness  of  my  daugh¬ 
ter,  the  Lily :  it  seemed  to  flow  from  within — yes,  as  light 
will  flow  through  the  thin  rind  of  a  gourd,  and  in  that  she 
differed  from  the  other  women  of  our  people,  who,  when 
they  are  fair  are  fair  with  the  flesh  alone. 

Now  my  heart  went  out  to  Nada  as  she  stood  in  the 
moonlight,  one  forsaken,  not  having  where  to  lay  her 
head,  Nada,  who  alone  was  left  alive  of  all  my  children. 
I  motioned  to  Umslopogaas  to  hide  himself  in  the  shadow, 
and  stepped  forward. 

“  Ho !  ”  I  said  roughly,  “  who  are  you,  wanderer,  and 
what  do  you  here  ?  ” 

Now  Nada  started  like  a  frightened  bird,  but  quickly 
gathered  up  her  thoughts,  and  turned  upon  me  in  a  lordly 
way. 

“  Who  are  you  that  ask  me  ?  ”  she  said,  feigning  a  man’s 
voice. 

“One  who  can  use  a  stick  upon  thieves  and  night-prowlers, 
boy.  Come,  show  your  business  or  be  moving.  You  are 
not  of  this  people  ;  surely  that  moocha  is  of  a  Swazi  make, 
and  here  we  do  not  love  Swazis.” 

“Were  you  not  old,  I  would  beat  you  for  your  insolence,” 
said  Nada,  striving  to  look  brave  and  all  the  while  searching 
a  way  to  escape.  “  Also,  I  have  no  stick,  only  a  spear,  and 
that  is  for  warriors,  not  for  an  old  umfagozan  like  you.” 
Ay,  my  father,  I  lived  to  hear  my  daughter  name  me  an 
um  fagozan — a  low  fellow  ! 

Now  making  pretence  to  be  angry,  I  leaped  at  her  with 
my  kerrie  up,  and,  forgetting  her  courage,  she  dropped  her 
spear,  and  uttered  a  little  scream.  But  she  still  held  the 
shield  before  her  face.  I  seized  her  by  the  arm,  and  struck 
a  blow  upon  the  shield  with  my  kerrie — it  would  scarcely 
have  crushed  a  fly,  but  this  brave  warrior  trembled 
sorely. 


248 


AADsi  1  HE  LILY 


a  Where  now  is  your  valour,  you  who  name  me  umfa * 
gozan  f”  1  said  :  “you  who  cry  like  a  maid  and  whose  arm 
is  soft  as  a  maid’s.” 

She  made  no  answer,  but  hugged  her  tattered  blanket 
round  her,  and,  shifting  my  grip  from  her  arm,  I  seized  it 
and  rent  it,  showing  her  breast  and  shoulder ;  then  I  let  her 
go,  laughing,  and  said  : — 

“  Lo !  here  is  the  warrior  that  would  beat  an  old  umfa- 
gozan  for  his  insolence,  a  warrior  well  shaped  for  war ! 
Now,  my  pretty  maid  who  wander  at  night  in  the  garment 
of  a  man,  what  tale  have  you  to  tell  ?  Swift  with  it,  lest 
I  drag  you  to  the  chief  as  his  prize !  The  old  man  seeks  a 
new  wife,  they  tell  me  ?  ” 

Now  when  Nada  saw  that  I  had  discovered  her  she  threw 
down  the  shield  after  the  spear,  as  a  thing  that  was  of  no 
more  use,  and  hung  her  head  sullenly.  But  when  I  spoke 
of  dragging  her  to  the  chief  then  she  flung  herself  upon  the 
ground,  and  clasped  my  knees,  for  since  I  called  him  old, 
she  thought  that  this  chief  could  not  be  Umslopogaas. 

“  Oh,  my  father,”  said  the  Lily,  “  oh,  my  father,  have 
pity  on  me !  Yes,  yes  !  I  am  a  girl,  a  maid — no  wife — and 
you  who  are  old,  you,  perchance  have  daughters  such  as  I, 
and  in  their  name  I  ask  for  pity.  My  father,  I  have 
journeyed  far,  I  have  endured  many  things,  to  find  my  way 
to  a  kraal  where  my  brother  rules,  and  now  it  seems  that  I 
have  come  to  the  wrong  kraal.  Forgive  me  that  I  spoke  to 
you  so,  my  father ;  it  was  but  a  woman’s  feint,  and  I  was 
hard  pressed  to  hide  my  sex,  for  my  father,  you  know  it  is 
ill  to  be  a  lonely  girl  among  strange  men.” 

Now  I  said  nothing  in  answer,  for  this  reason  only :  that 
when  I  heard  Nada  call  me  father,  not  knowing  me,  and  saw 
her  clasp  my  knees  and  pray  to  me  in  my  daughter’s  name, 
I,  who  was  childless  save  for  her,  went  nigh  to  weeping. 
But  she  thought  that  I  did  not  answer  because  I  was  angry 
and  about  to  drag  her  to  this  unknown  chief,  and  implored 
me  the  more  even  with  tears. 

“  My  father,”  she  said,  “  do  not  this  wicked  thing  by  me. 
Let  me  go  and  show  me  the  path  that  I  shall  ask :  you  who 
are  old,  you  know  that  I  am  too  fair  to  be  dragged  before 


THE  COMING  OF  NAD  A 


249 


this  chief  of  yours.  Hearken !  All  I  knew  are  dead, 
I  am  alone  except  for  this  brother  whom  I  seek.  Oh!  if 
you  betray  me  may  such  a  fate  fall  upon  your  own  daugh¬ 
ter  also !  May  she  also  know  the  day  of  slavery,  and  the 
love  that  she  wills  not !  ”  and  she  ceased,  sobbing. 

Now  I  turned  my  head  and  spoke  towards  the  hut, 
“  Chief,”  I  said,  “  your  Elilose  is  kind  to  you  to-night,  for 
he  has  given  you  a  maid  fair  as  the  Lily  of  the  Halakazi” 
— here  Nada  glanced  up  wildly.  “Come,  then,  and  take  the 
girl.” 

Now  Nada  turned  to  snatch  up  the  assegai  from  the 
ground,  but  whether  to  kill  me,  or  the  chief  she  feared  so 
much,  or  herself,  I  do  not  know,  and  as  she  turned,  in  her 
woe  she  called  upon  the  name  of  Umslopogaas.  She  found 
the  assegai,  and  straightened  herself  again.  And  lo  !  there 
before  her  stood  a  tall  chief  leaning  on  an  axe ;  but  the 
old  man  who  threatened  her  was  gone — not  very  far,  in 
truth,  but  round  the  corner  of  the  hut. 

Now  Nada  the  Lily  looked,  then  rubbed  her  eyes,  and 
looked  again. 

“Surely  I  dream  ?  ”  she  said  at  last.  “  But  now  I  spoke 
to  an  old  man,  and  in  his  place  there  stands  before  me  the 
shape  of  one  whom  I  desire  to  see.” 

“  I  thought,  Maiden,  that  the  voice  of  a  certain  Nada  called 
upon  one  Umslopogaas,”  said  he  who  leaned  upon  the  axe. 

“Ay,  I  called:  but  where  is  the  old  man  who  treated  me  so 
scurvily  ?  Nay,  what  does  it  matter  ?— where  he  is,  there 
let  him  stop.  At  least,  you  are  Umslopogaas,  my  brother, 
or  should  be  by  your  greatness  and  the  axe.  To  the  man  I 
cannot  altogether  swear  in  this  light;  but  to  the  axe  I  can 
swear,  for  once  it  passed  so  very  near  my  eyes.” 

Thus  she  spoke  on,  gaining  time,  and  all  the  while  she 
watched  Umslopogaas  till  she  was  snre  that  it  was  he  and 
no  other.  Then  she  ceased  talking,  and,  flinging  herself  on 
him,  she  kissed  him. 

“Now  I  trust  that  Zinita  sleeps  sound,”  murmured  Um¬ 
slopogaas,  for  suddenly  he  remembered  that  Nada  was  no 
sister  of  his,  as  she  thought. 

Nevertheless,  he  took  her  by  the  hand  and  said,  “Enter, 


250 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


sister.  Of  all  maidens  in  the  world  you  are  the  most  wel¬ 
come  here,  for  know  I  believed  you  dead.” 

But  I,  Mopo,  ran  into  the  hut  before  her,  and  when  she 
entered  she  found  me  sitting  by  the  fire. 

“  Now,  here,  my  brother,”  said  Nada,  pointing  at  me  with 
her  finger,  “  here  is  that  old  umfagozan,  that  low  fellow,  who, 
unless  I  dream,  but  a  very  little  while  ago  brought  shame 
upon  me — ay,  my  brother,  he  struck  me,  a  maid,  with  his 
kerrie,  and  that  only  because  I  said  that  I  would  stab  him 
for  his  insolence,  and  he  did  worse  :  he  swore  that  he  would 
drag  me  to  some  old  chief  of  his  to  be  a  gift  to  him,  and 
this  he  was  about  to  do,  had  you  not  come.  Will  you  suffer 
these  things  to  go  unpunished,  my  brother?  ” 

Now  Umslopogaas  smiled  grimly,  and  I  answered: — 

“  What  was  it  that  you  called  me  just  now,  Nada,  when 
you  prayed  me  to  protect  you  ?  Father,  was  it  not  ?”  and 
I  turned  my  face  towards  the  blaze  of  the  fire,  so  that  the 
full  light  fell  upon  it. 

“  Yes,  I  called  you  father,  old  man.  It  is  not  strange,  for 
a  homeless  wanderer  must  find  fathers  where  she  can — 
and  yet !  no,  it  cannot  be — so  changed — and  that  white 
hand  ?  And  yet,  oh !  who  are  you  ?  Once  there  was  a 
man  named  Mopo,  and  he  had  a  little  daughter,  and  she 
was  called  Nada — Oh !  my  father,  my  father,  I  know  you 
now !  ” 

“  Ay,  Nada,  and  I  knew  you  from  the  first;  through  all 
your  man’s  wrappings  I  knew  you  after  these  many  years.” 

So  the  Lily  fell  upon  my  neck  and  sobbed  there,  and  I 
remember  that  I  also  wept. 

Now  when  she  had  sobbed  her  fill  of  joy,  Umslopogaas 
brought  Nada  the  Lily  maas  to  eat  and  mealie  porridge. 
She  ate  the  curdled  milk,  but  the  porridge  she  would  not 
eat,  saying  that  she  was  too  weary. 

Then  she  told  us  all  the  tale  of  her  wanderings  since  she 
had  fled  away  from  the  side  of  Umslopogaas  at  the  strong¬ 
hold  of  the  Halakazi,  and  it  was  long,  so  long  that  I  will 
not  repeat  it,  for  it  is  a  story  by  itself.  This  I  will  say 
only :  that  Nada  was  captured  by  robbers,  and  for  awhile 
passed  herself  off  among  them  as  a  youth.  But,  in  the  end, 


THE  COMING  OF  NAD  A 


251 


they  found  her  out  and  would  have  given  her  as  a  wife  to 
their  chief,  only  she  persuaded  them  to  kill  the  chief  and 
make  her  their  ruler.  They  did  this  because  of  that  medi¬ 
cine  of  the  eyes  which  Nada  had  only  among  women,  for  as 
she  ruled  the  Halakazi  so  she  ruled  the  robbers.  But,  at 
the  last,  they  all  loved  her,  and  she  gave  it  out  that  she 
would  wed  the  strongest.  Then  some  of  them  fell  to  fight¬ 
ing,  and  while  they  killed  each  other — for  it  came  about 
that  Nada  brought  death  upon  the  robbers  as  on  all  others 
— she  escaped,  for  she  said  that  she  did  not  wish  to  look 
upon  their  struggle  but  would  await  the  upshot  in  a  place 
apart. 

After  that  she  had  many  further  adventures,  but  at  length 
she  met  an  old  woman  who  guided  her  on  her  way  to  the 
Ghost  Mountain.  And  who  this  old  woman  was  none  could 
discover,  but  Galazi  swore  afterwards  that  she  was  the 
Stone  Witch  of  the  mountain,  who  put  on  the  shape  of  an 
aged  woman  to  guide  Nada  to  Umslopogaas,  to  be  the  sorrow 
and  the  joy  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.  I  do  not  know,  my 
father,  yet  it  seems  to  me  that  the  old  witch  would  scarcely 
have  put  off  her  stone  for  so  small  a  matter. 

Now,  when  Nada  had  made  an  end  of  her  tale,  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  told  his,  of  how  things  had  gone  with  Dingaan.  When 
he  told  her  how  he  had  given  the  body  of  the  girl  to  the 
king,  saying  that  it  was  the  Lily’s  stalk,  she  said  it  had 
been  well  done ;  and  when  he  spoke  of  the  slaying  of  the 
traitor  she  clapped  her  hands,  though  Nada,  whose  heart 
was  gentle,  did  not  love  to  hear  of  deeds  of  death.  At  last 
he  finished,  and  she  was  somewhat  sad,  and  said  it  seemed 
that  her  fate  followed  her,  and  that  now  the  People  of  the 
Axe  were  in  danger  at  the  hands  of  Dingaan  because  of 
her. 

“Ah!  my  brother,”  she  cried,  taking  Umslopogaas  by  the 
hand,  “  it  were  better  I  should  die  than  that  I  should  bring 
evil  upon  you  also.” 

“  That  would  not  mend  matters,  Nada,”  he  answered. 
«  For  whether  you  be  dead  or  alive,  the  hate  of  Dingaan  is 
already  earned.  Also,  Nada,  know  this :  I  am  not  your 
brother  A 


252 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


When  the  Lily  heard  these  words  she  nttered  a  little  cry, 
and,  letting  fall  the  hand  of  Umslopogaas,  clasped  mine, 
shrinking  up  against  me. 

“  What  is  this  tale,  father  ?”  she  asked.  “He  who  was 
my  twin,  he  with  whom  I  have  been  bred  up,  says  that  he 
has  deceived  me  these  many  years,  that  he  is  not  my  brother ; 
who,  then,  is  he,  father  ?  ” 

“  He  is  your  cousin,  Nada.” 

“  Ah,”  she  answered,  “  I  am  glad.  It  would  have  grieved 
me  had  he  whom  I  loved  been  shown  to  be  but  a  stranger 
in  whom  I  have  no  part,”  and  she  smiled  a  little  in  the  eyes 
and  at  the  corners  of  her  mouth.  “  But  tell  me  this  tale 
also.” 

So  I  told  her  the  story  of  the  birth  of  Umslopogaas,  for 
I  trusted  her. 

“  Ah,”  she  said,  when  I  had  finished,  “  ah !  you  come  of  a 
bad  stock,  Umslopogaas,  though  it  is  a  kingly  one.  I  shall 
love  you  little  henceforth,  child  of  the  hysena  man.” 

“Then  that  is  bad  news,”  said  Umslopogaas,  “for  know, 
Nada,  I  desire  now  that  you  should  love  me  more  than 
ever — that  you  should  be  my  wife  and  love  me  as  your 
husband ! ” 

How  the  Lily’s  face  grew  sad  and  sweet,  and  all  the  hid¬ 
den  mockery  went  out  of  her  talk — for  Nada  loved  to 
mock. 

“  Did  you  not  speak  to  me  on  that  night  in  the  Halakazi 
caves,  Umslopogaas,  of  one  Zinita,  who  is  your  wife,  and 
Inkosikaas  of  the  People  of  the  Axe  ?  ” 

Then  the  brow  of  Umslopogaas  darkened:  “What  of 
Zinita  ?  ”  he  said.  “  It  is  true  she  is  my  chieftainess  ;  is  it 
not  allowed  a  man  to  take  more  than  one  wife  ?  ” 

“So  I  trust,”  answered  Nada,  smiling,  “else  men  would 
go  unwed  for  long,  for  few  maids  would  marry  them  who 
then  must  labour  alone  all  their  days.  But,  Umslopogaas, 
if  there  are  twenty  wives,  yet  one  must  be  first.  Now  this 
has  come  about  hitherto :  that  wherever  I  have  been  it  has 
been  thrust  upon  me  to  be  first,  and  perhaps  it  might  be 
thus  once  more — what  then,  Umslopogaas  ?” 

“Let  the  fruit  ripen  before  you  pluck  it,  Nada,”  he 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  WOMEN 


253 


answered.  “If  you  love  me  and  will  wed  me,  it  is 
enough.” 

“  I  pray  that  it  may  not  he  more  than  enough,”  she  said, 
stretching  out  her  hand  to  him.  “Listen,  Umslopogaas: 
ask  my  father  here  what  were  the  words  I  spoke  to  him 
many  years  ago,  before  I  was  a  woman,  when,  with  my 
mother,  Macropha,  I  left  him  to  go  among  the  Swazi  people. 
It  was  after  you  had  been  borne  away  by  the  lion,  Um¬ 
slopogaas,  I  told  my  father  that  I  would  marry  no  man  all 
my  life,  because  I  loved  only  you,  who  were  dead.  My  father 
reproached  me,  saying  that  I  must  not  speak  thus  of  my 
brother,  but  it  was  my  heart  which  spoke,  and  it  spoke  truly ; 
for  see,  Umslopogaas,  you  are  no  brother  to  me !  I  have 
kept  that  vow.  How  many  men  have  sought  me  in  wedlock 
since  I  became  a  woman,  Umslopogaas?  I  tell  you  that 
they  are  as  the  leaves  upon  a  tree.  Yet  I  have  given 
myself  to  none,  and  this  has  been  my  fortune :  that  none 
have' sought  to  constrain  me  to  marriage.  How  I  have  my 
reward,  for  he  whom  I  lost  is  found  again,  and  to  him  alone 
I  give  my  love.  Yet,  Umslopogaas,  beware!  Little  luck 
has  come  to  those  who  have  loved  me  in  the  past ;  no,  not 
even  to  those  who  have  but  sought  to  look  on  me.” 

“  I  will  bear  the  risk,  Hada,”  the  Slaughterer  answered, 
and  gathering  her  to  his  great  breast  he  kissed  her. 

Presently  she  slipped  from  his  arms  and  bade  him  be¬ 
gone,  for  she  was  weary  and  would  rest. 

So  he  went. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  WAR  OF  THE  WOMEN. 

How  on  the  morrow  at  daybreak,  leaving  his  wolves, 
Galazi  came  down  from  the  Ghost  Mountain  and  passed 
through  the  gates  of  the  kraal. 

I11  front  of  my  hut  he  saw  Xada  the  Lily  and  saluted  her, 
for  each  remembered  the  other.  Then  he  walked  on  to  the 
place  of  assembly  and  spoke  to  me. 


254 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“So  the  Star  of  Death  has  risen  on  the  People  of  the 
Axe,  Mopo,”  he  said.  “Was  it  because  of  her  coming  that 
my  grey  people  howled  so  strangely  last  night  ?  I  cannot 
tell,  but  I  know  this,  the  Star  shone  first  on  me  this  morn¬ 
ing,  and  that  is  my  doom.  Well,  she  is  fair  enough  to  be 
the  doom  of  many,  Mopo,”  and  he  laughed  and  passed  on, 
swinging  the  Watcher.  But  his  words  troubled  me,  though 
they  were  foolish;  for  I  could  not  but  remember  that 
wherever  the  beauty  of  Nada  had  pleased  the  sight  of  men, 
there  men  had  been  given  to  death. 

Then  I  went  to  lead  Nada  to  the  place  of  assembly  and 
found  her  awaiting  me.  She  was  dressed  now  in  some 
woman’s  garments  that  I  had  brought  her;  her  curling  hair 
fell  upon  her  shoulders;  on  her  wrist  and  neck  and  knee 
were  bracelets  of  ivory,  and  in  her  hand  she  bore  a  lily 
bloom  which  she  had  gathered  as  she  went  to  bathe  in  the 
river.  Perhaps  she  did  this,  my  father,  because  she  wished 
here,  as  elsewhere,  to  be  known  as  the  Lily,  and  it  is  the 
Zulu  fashion  to  name  people  from  some  such  trifle.  But 
who  can  know  a  woman’s  reason,  or  whether  a  thing  is  by 
chance  alone,  my  father  ?  Also  she  had  begged  of  me  a 
cape  I  had;  it  was  cunningly  made  by  Basutus,  of  the 
whitest  feathers  of  the  ostrich;  this  she  put  about  her 
shoulders,  and  it  hung  down  to  her  middle.  It  had  been  a 
custom  with  Nada  from  childhood  not  to  go  about  as  do 
other  girls,  naked  except  for  their  girdles,  for  she  would 
always  find  some  rag  or  skin  to  lie  upon  her  breast.  Per¬ 
haps  it  was  because  her  skin  was  fairer  than  that  of  other 
women,  or  perhaps  because  she  knew  that  she  who  hides 
her  beauty  often  seems  the  loveliest,  or  because  there  was 
truth  in  the  tale  of  her  white  blood  and  the  fashion  came 
to  her  with  the  blood.  I  do  not  know,  my  father;  at  the 
least  she  did  so. 

Now  I  took  Nada  by  the  hand  and  led  her  through  the 
morning  air  to  the  place  of  assembly,  and  ah!  she  was 
sweeter  than  the  air  and  fairer  than  the  dawn. 

There  were  many  people  in  the  place  of  assembly,  for  it 
was  the  day  of  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  council  of  the 
headmen,  and  there  also  were  all  the  women  of  the  kraal, 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  WOMEN 


255 


and  at  their  head  stood  Zinita.  Now  it  had  got  about  that 
the  girl  whom  the  Slaughterer  went  to  seek  in  the  caves  of 
the  Halakazi  had  come  to  the  kraal  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe,  and  all  eyes  watched  for  her. 

“Wow  l”  said  the  men  as  she  passed  smiling,  looking 
neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left,  yet  seeing  all — “  Wow! 
but  this  flower  is  fair!  Little  wonder  that  the  Halakazi 
died  for  her !  ” 

The  women  looked  also,  but  they  said  nothing  of  the 
beauty  of  Nada;  they  scarcely  seemed  to  see  it. 

“  That  is  she  for  whose  sake  so  many  of  our  people  lie 
unburied,”  said  one. 

“ Where,  then,  does  she  find  her  fine  clothes?”  quoth 
another,  “she  who  came  here  last  night  a  footsore  wan¬ 
derer?  ” 

“  Feathers  are  not  enough  for  her :  look !  she  must  bear 
flowers  also.  Surely  they  are  litter  to  her  hands  than  the 
handle  of  a  hoe,”  said  a  third. 

“Now  I  think  that  the  chief  of  the  People  of  the  Axe 
will  find  one  to  worship  above  the  axe,  and  that  some  will 
be  left  mourning,”  pat  in  a  fourth,  glancing  ta  Zinita  and 
the  other  women  of  the  household  of  the  Slaughterer. 

Thus  they  spoke,  throwing  words  like  assegais,  and  Nada 
heard  them  all,  and  knew  their  meaning,  but  she  never 
ceased  from  smiling.  Only  Zinita  said  nothing,  but  stood 
looking  at  Nada  from  beneath  her  bent  brows,  while  by  one 
hand  she  held  the  little  daughter  of  Umslopogaas,  her  child, 
and  with  the  other  played  with  the  beads  about  her  neck. 
Presently,  we  passed  her,  and  Nada,  knowing  well  who  this 
must  be,  turned  her  eyes  full  upon  the  angry  eyes  of  Zinita, 
and  held  them  there  awhile.  Now  what  there  was  in  the 
glance  of  Nada  I  cannot  say,  but  I  know  that  Zinita,  who 
was  afraid  of  few  things,  found  something  to  fear  in  it. 
At  the  least,  it  .was  she  who  turned  her  head  away,  and 
the  Lily  passed  on  smiling,  and  greeted  Umslopogaas  with 
a  little  nod. 

“Hail,  Nada!”  said  the  Slaughterer.  Then  he  turned  to 
his  headmen  and  spoke:  “This  is  she  whom  we  went  to  the 
caves  of  the  Halakazi  to  seek  for  Dingaan.  Ou !  the  story 


256 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


is  known  now;  one  told  it  np  at  the  kraal  Umgugundh- 
lovn  who  shall  tell  it  no  more.  She  prayed  me  to  save  hei 
from  Dingaan,  and  so  I  did,  and  all  would  have  gone  well 
had  it  not  been  for  a  certain  traitor  who  is  done  with,  for  I 
took  another  to  Dingaan.  Look  on  her  now,  my  friends, 
and  say  if  I  did  not  well  to  win  her — the  Lily  flower,  such 
as  there  is  no  other  in  the  world,  to  be  the  joy  of  the  People 
of  the  Axe  and  a  wife  to  me.” 

With  one  accord  the  headmen  answered:  “ Indeed  you 
did  well,  Slaughterer,”  for  the  glamour  of  Nada  was  upon 
them,  and  they  would  cherish  her  as  others  had  cherished 
her.  Only  Galazi  the  Wolf  shook  his  head.  But  he  said 
nothing,  for  words  do  not  avail  against  fate.  Now  as  I 
found  afterwards,  since  Zinita,  the  head  wife  of  Umslopo- 
gaas,  had  learned  of  what  stock  he  was,  she  had  known  that 
Nada  was  no  sister  to  him.  Yet  when  she  heard  him  de¬ 
clare  that  he  was  about  to  take  the  Lily  to  wife  she  turned 
upon  him,  saying: — 

“  How  can  this  be,  Lord?  ” 

“Why  do  you  ask,  Zinita?”  he  answered.  “Is  it  not 
allowed  to  a  man  to  take  another  wife  if  he  will?  ” 

“Surely,  Lord,”  she  said;  “but  men  do  not  wed  their 
sisters,  and  I  have  heard  that  it  was  because  this  Nada  was 
your  sister  that  you  saved  her  from  Dingaan,  and  brought 
the  wrath  of  Dingaan  upon  the  People  of  the  Axe,  the  wrath 
that  shall  destroy  them.” 

“So  I  thought  then,  Zinita,”  he  answered;  “now  I 
know  otherwise.  Nada  is  daughter  to  Mopo  yonder  in¬ 
deed,  but  he  is  no  father  to  me,  though  he  has  been  named 
so,  nor  was  the  mother  of  Nada  my  mother.  That  is  so, 
Councillors.” 

Then  Zinita  looked  at  me  and  muttered,  “  0  fool  of  a 
Mouth,  not  for  nothing  did  I  fear  evil  at  your  hands.” 

I  heard  the  words  and  took  no  note,  and  she  spoke  again 
to  Umslopogaas,  saying  :  “Here  is  a  mystery,  0  Lord 
Bulalio.  Will  it  then  please  you  to  declare  to  us  who  is 
your  father?” 

“I  have  no  father,”  he  answered,  waxing  wroth;  “the 
heavens  above  are  my  father.  I  am  born  of  Blood  and  Fire, 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  WOMEN 


25  7 


and  she,  the  Lily,  is  horn  of  Beauty  to  be  my  mate.  Now, 
woman,  be  silent.”  He  thought  awhile,  and  added,  “Nay, 
if  you  will  know,  my  father  was  Indabazimbi  the  Witch- 
tinder,  the  smeller-out  of  the  king,  the  son  of  Arpi.”  This 
Umslopogaas  said  at  a  hazard,  since,  having  denied  me,  he 
must  declare  a  father,  and  dared  not  name  the  Black  One 
who  was  gone.  But  in  after  years  the  saying  was  taken  up 
in  the  land,  and  it  was  told  that  Umslopogaas  was  the  son 
of  Indabazimbi  the  Witch-finder,  who  had  long  ago  fled  the 
land;  nor  did  he  deny  it.  For  when  all  this  game  had  been 
played  out  he  would  not  have  it  known  that  he  was  the  son 
of  Chaka,  he  who  no  longer  sought  to  be  a  king,  lest  he 
should  bring  down  the  wrath  of  Panda  upon  him. 

When  the  people  heard  this  they  thought  that  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  mocked  Zinita,  and  yet  in  his  anger  he  spoke  truth 
when  he  said  first  that  he  was  born  of  the  “heavens  above,” 
for  so  we  Zulus  name  the  king,  and  so  the  witch-doctor 
Indabazimbi  named  Chaka  on  the  day  of  the  great  smelling 
out.  But  they  did  not  take  it  in  this  sense.  They  held 
that  he  spoke  truly  when  he  gave  it  out  that  he  was  born 
of  Indabazimbi  the  Witch  doctor,  who  had  fled  the  land, 
whither  I  do  not  know. 

Then  Nada  turned  to  Zinita  and  spoke  to  her  in  a  sweet 
and  gentle  voice :  “  If  I  am  not  sister  to  Bulalio,  yet  I  shall 
soon  be  sister  to  you  who  are  the  Chief’s  Inkosikaas,  Zinita. 
Shall  that  not  satisfy  you,  and  will  you  not  greet  me  kindly 
and  with  a  kiss  of  peace,  who  have  come  from  far  to  be 
your  sister,  Zinita?  ”  and  Nada  held  out  her  hands  towards 
her,  though  whether  she  did  this  from  the  heart  or  because 
she  would  put  herself  in  the  right  before  the  people  I  do 
not  know.  But  Zinita  scowled,  and  jerked  at  her  necklace 
of  beads,  breaking  the  string  on  which  they  were  threaded, 
so  that  the  beads  rolled  upon  the  black  earthen  floor  this 
way  and  that. 

“  Keep  your  kisses  for  our  lord,  girl,”  Zinita  said  roughly. 
“  As  my  beads  are  scattered  so  shall  you  scatter  this  Peo¬ 
ple  of  the  Axe.” 

Now  Nada  turned  away  with  a  little  sigh,  and  the  people 
murmured,  for  they  thought  that  Zinita  had  treated  her 


25S 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


badly.  Then  she  stretched  out  her  hand  again,  and  gave 
the  lily  in  it  to  Umslopogaas,  saying: — 

“  Here  is  a  token  of  our  betrothal,  Lord,  for  never  a  head 
of  cattle  have  my  father  and  I  to  send — we  who  are  out¬ 
casts  ;  and,  indeed,  the  bridegroom  must  pay  the  cattle.  May 
I  bring  you  peace  and  love,  my  Lord !  ” 

Umslopogaas  took  the  flower,  and  looked  somewhat  foolish 
with  it — he  who  was  wont  to  carry  the  axe,  and  not  a  flower; 
and  so  that  talk  was  ended. 

Now  as  it  chanced,  this  was  that  day  of  the  year  when, 
according  to  ancient  custom,  the  Holder  of  the  Axe  must 
challenge  all  and  sundry  to  come  up  against  him  to  fight  in 
single  combat  for  Groan-Maker  and  the  chieftainship  of  the 
people.  Therefore,  when  the  talk  was  done,  Umslopogaas 
rose  and  went  through  the  challenge,  not  thinking  that  any 
would  answer  him,  since  for  some  years  none  had  dared  to 
stand  before  his  might.  Yet  three  men  stepped  forward, 
and  of  these  two  were  captains,  and  men  whom  the  Slaugh¬ 
terer  loved.  With  all  the  people,  he  looked  at  them  aston¬ 
ished. 

“How  is  this?”  he  said  in  a  low  voice  to  that  captain 
who  was  nearest  and  who  would  do  battle  with  him. 

Lor  answer  the  man  pointed  to  the  Lily,  who  stood  by. 
Then  Umslopogaas  understood  that  because  of  the  medicine 
of  Nada’s  beauty  all  men  desired  to  win  her,  and,  since  he 
who  could  win  the  axe  would  take  her  also,  he  must  look  to 
fight  with  many.  Well,  fight  he  must  or  be  shamed. 

Of  the  fray  there  is  little  to  tell,  my  father.  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  killed  first  one  man  and  then  the  other,  and  swiftly, 
for,  growing  fearful,  the  third  did  not  come  up  against 
him. 

“Ah!  ”  said  Galazi,  who  watched,  “what  did  1  tell  you, 
Mopo?  The  curse  begins  to  work.  Death  walks  ever  with 
that  daughter  of  yours,  old  man.” 

“I  fear  so,”  I  answered,  “and  yet  the  maid  is  fair  and 
good  and  sweet.” 

“That  will  not  mend  matters,”  said- Galazi. 

Now  on  that  day  Umslopogaas  took  Nada  the  Lily  to 
wife,  and  for  awhile  there  was  peace  and  quiet.  But  this 


‘They  smite  upwards  .  .  but  he  has  swept  over  them 

like  a  swooping  bird.’ 


■ 


- 


. 

, 


' 


« 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  WOMEN 


259 


evil  thing  came  upon  Umslopogaas,  that,  from  the  day  when 
he  wedded  Nada,  he  hated  even  to  look  upon  Zinita,  and 
not  at  her  alone,  but  on  all  his  other  wives  also.  Galazi 
said  it  was  because  Nada  had  bewitched  him,  but  I  know 
well  that  the  only  witcheries  she  used  were  the  medicine  of 
her  eyes,  her  beauty,  and  her  love.  Still,  it  came  to  pass 
that  thenceforward,  and  until  she  had  long  been  dead,  the 
Slaughterer  loved  her,  and  her  alone,  and  that  is  a  strange 
sickness  to  come  upon  a  man. 

As  may  be  guessed,  my  father,  Zinita  and  the  other  women 
took  this  ill.  They  waited  awhile,  indeed,  thinking  that 
it  would  wear  away,  then  they  began  to  murmur,  both  to 
their  husband  and  in  the  ears  of  other  people,  till  at  length 
there  were  two  parties  in  the  town,  the  party  of  Zinita  and 
the  party  of  Nada. 

The  party  of  Zinita  was  made  up  of  w emeu  and  of  certain 
men  who  loved  and  feared  their  wives,  but  that  of  N ada  was 
the  greatest,  and  it  was  all  of  men,  with  Umslopogaas  at  the 
head  of  them,  and  from  this  division  came  much  bitterness 
abroad,  and  quarrelling  in  the  huts.  Yet  neither  the  Lily 
nor  Umslopogaas  heeded  it  greatly,  nor,  indeed,  anything, 
so  lost  and  well  content  were  they  in  each  other’s  love. 

Now  on  a  certain  morning,  after  they  had  been  married 
three  full  moons,  Nada  came  from  her  husband’s  hut  when 
the  sun  was  already  high,  and  went  down  through  the  rock 
gulley  to  the  river  to  bathe.  On  the  right  of  the  path  to 
the  river  lay  the  mealie-fields  of  the  chief,  and  in  them 
laboured  Zinita  and  the  other  women  of  Umslopogaas, 
weeding  the  mealie-plants.  They  looked  up  and  saw  Nada 
pass,  then  worked  on  sullenly.  After  awhile  they  saw  her 
come  again  fresh  from  the  bath,  very  fair  to  see,  and  having 
flowers  twined  among  her  hair,  and  as  she  walked  she  sang 
a  song  of  love.  Now  Zinita  cast  down  her  hoe. 

"Is  this  to  be  borne,  my  sisters?”  she  said. 

“No,”  answered  another,  “ it  is  not  to  be  borne.  What 
shall  we  do — shall  we  fall  upon  her  and  kill  her  now?” 

“It  would  be  more  just  to  kill  Bulalio,  our  lord,”  an¬ 
swered  Zinita.  “Nada  is  but  a  woman,  and,  after  the 
fashion  of  us  women,  takes  all  that  she  can  gather.  But 


26o 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


lie  is  a  man  and  a  chief,  and  should  know  wisdom  and 
justice.” 

“  She  has  bewitched  him  with  her  beauty.  Let  us  kill 
her,  ”  said  the  other  women. 

“Nay,”  answered  Zinita,  “I  will  speak  with  her,”  and 
she  went  and  stood  in  the  path  along  which  the  Lily  walked 
singing,  her  arms  folded  across  her  breast. 

Now  Nada  saw  her  and,  ceasing  her  song,  stretched  out 
her  hand  to  welcome  her,  saying,  “Greeting,  sister.”  But 
Zinita  did  not  take  it.  “It  is  not  fitting,  sister,”  she  said, 
“  that  my  hand,  stained  with  toil,  should  defile  yours,  fresh 
with  the  scent  of  flowers.  But  I  am  charged  with  a  mes¬ 
sage,  on  my  own  behalf  and  the  behalf  of  the  other  wives 
of  our  Lord  Bulalio :  the  weeds  grow  thick  in  yonder  corn, 
and  we  women  are  few ;  now  that  your  love  days  are  over, 
will  not  you  come  and  help  us  ?  If  you  brought  no  hoe 
from  your  Swazi  home,  surely  we  will  buy  you  one.” 

Now  Nada  saw  what  was  meant,  and  the  blood  poured  to 
her  head.  Yet  she  answered  calmly: — 

“  I  would  willingly  do  this,  my  sister,  though  I  have  never 
laboured  in  the  fields,  for  wherever  I  have  dwelt  the  men 
have  kept  me  back  from  all  work,  save  such  as  the  weaving 
of  flowers  or  the  stringing  of  beads.  But  there  is  this 
against  it — Umslopogaas,  my  husband,  charged  me  that  I 
should  not  toil  with  my  hands,  and  I  may  not  disobey  my 
husband.” 

“  Our  husband  charged  you  so,  Nada  ?  Nay,  then  it  is 
strange.  See,  now,  I  am  his  head  wife,  his  InkosiJcaas — it 
was  I  who  taught  him  how  to  win  the  axe.  Yet  he  has 
laid  no  command  on  me  that  I  should  not  labour  in  his 
fields  after  the  fashion  of  women,  I  who  have  borne  him 
children;  nor,  indeed,  has  he  laid  such  a  command  upon 
any  of  our  sisters,  his  other  wives.  Can  it  then  be  that 
Bulalio  loves  you  better  than  us,  Nada  ?  ” 

Now  the  Lily  was  in  a  trap,  and  she  knew  it.  So  she 
grew  bold. 

“One  must  be  most  loved,  Zinita,”  she  said,  “as  one  must 
be  most  fair.  You  have  had  your  hour,  leave  me  mine; 
perhaps  it  will  be  short.  Moreover  this:  Umslopogaas  and 


THE  WAR  OF  THE  WOMEN 


261 


I  loved  each  other  much  long  years  before  you  or  any  of  his 
wives  saw  him,  and  we  love  each  other  to  the  end.  There 
is  no  more  to  say.” 

“Nay,  Nada,  there  is  still  something  to  say;  there  is  this 
to  say :  Choose  one  of  two  things.  Go  and  leave  us  to  be 
happy  with  our  lord,  or  stay  and  bring  death  on  all.” 

Now  Nada  thought  awhile,  and  answered:  “Did  I  believe 
that  my  love  would  bring  death  on  him  I  love,  it  might  well 
chance  that  I  would  go  and  leave  him,  though  to  do  so 
would  be  to  die.  But,  Zinita,  I  do  not  believe  it.  Death 
chiefly  loves  the  weak,  and  if  he  falls  it  will  be  on  the 
Flower,  not  on  the  Slayer  of  Men,”  and  she  slipped  past 
Zinita  and  went  on,  singing  no  more. 

Zinita  watched  her  till  she  was  over  the  ridge,  and  her 
face  grew  evil  as  she  watched.  Then  she  returned  to  the 
women. 

“The  Lily  flouts  us  all,  my  sisters,”  she  said.  “Now 
listen:  my  counsel  is  that  we  declare  a  feast  of  women  to 
be  held  at  the  new  moon  in  a  secret  place  far  away.  All 
the  women  and  the  children  shall  come  to  it  except  Nada, 
who  will  not  leave  her  lover,  and  if  there  be  any  man  whom 
a  woman  loves,  perhaps,  my  sisters,  that  man  would  do  well 
to  go  on  a  journey  about  the  time  of  the  new  moon,  for  evil 
things  may  happen  at  the  town  of  the  People  of  the  Axe 
while  we  are  away  celebrating  our  feast.” 

“  What,  then,  shall  befall,  my  sister  ?  ”  asked  one. 

“Nay,  how  can  I  tell?”  she  ansAvered.  “I  only  knoAV 
that  we  are  minded  to  be  rid  of  Nada,  and  thus  to  be 
avenged  on  a  man  Avho  has  scorned  our  love — ay,  and  on 
those  men  who  follow  after  the  beauty  of  Nada.  Is  it  not 
so,  my  sisters  ?  ” 

“It  is  so,”  they  ansAvered. 

“  Then  be  silent  on  the  matter,  and  let  us  give  out  our 
feast.” 

Noav  Nada  told  Umslopogaas  of  those  Avords  which  she 
had  bandied  with  Zinita,  and  the  Slaughterer  Avas  troubled. 
Yet,  because  of  his  foolishness  and  of  the  medicine  of  Nada’s 
eyes,  he  Avould  not  turn  from  his  Avay,  and  Avas  eArer  at  her 
side,  thinking  of  little  else  except  of  her.  Thus,  when 


262 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Zinita  came  to  him,  and  asked  leave  to  declare  a  feast  of 
women  that  should  be  held  far  away,  he  consented,  and 
gladly,  for,  above  all  things,  he  desired  to  be  free  from 
Zinita  and  her  angry  looks  for  awhile;  nor  did  he  suspect 
a  plot.  Only  he  told  her  that  Nada  should  not  go  to  the 
feast;  and  in  a  breath  both  Zinita  and  Nada  answered  that 
his  word  was  their  will,  as  indeed  it  was,  in  this  matter. 

Now  I,  Mopo,  saw  the  glamour  that  had  fallen  upon 
Umslopogaas,  my  fosterling,  and  spoke  of  it  with  Galazi, 
saying  that  a  means  must  be  found  to  wake  him.  Then  I 
took  Galazi  fully  into  my  mind,  and  told  him  all  that  he 
did  not  know  of  Umslopogaas,  and  that  was  little.  Also, 
I  told  him  of  my  plans  to  bring  the  Slaughterer  to  the 
throne,  and  of  what  I  had  done  to  that  end,  and  of  what  I 
proposed  to  do,  and  this  was  to  go  in  person  on  a  journey 
to  certain  of  the  great  chiefs  and  win  them  over. 

Galazi  listened,  and  said  that  it  was  well  or  ill,  as  the 
chance  might  be.  For  his  part,  he  believed  that  the 
daughter  would  pull  down  faster  than  I,  the  father,  could 
build  up,  and  he  pointed  to  Nada,  who  walked  past  us,  fol¬ 
lowing  Umslopogaas. 

Yet  I  determined  to  go,  and  that  was  on  the  day  before 
Zinita  won  leave  to  celebrate  the  feast  of  women.  So  I 
sought  Umslopogaas  and  told  him,  and  he  listened  indiffer¬ 
ently,  for  he  would  be  going  after  Nada,  and  wearied  of 
my  talk  of  policy.  I  bade  him  farewell  and  left  him ;  to 
Nada  also  I  bade  farewell.  She  kissed  me,  yet  the  name  of 
her  husband  was  mingled  with  her  good-bye. 

“Now  madness  has  come  upon  these  two,”  I  said  'to  my¬ 
self.  “Well,  it  will  wear  off,  they  will  be  changed  before 
I  come  again.” 

I  guessed  little,  my  father,  how  changed  they  would  be. 


ZINITA  COMES  TO  THE  KING 


2  63 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

ZINITA  COMES  TO  THE  KING. 

Dingaan  the  king  sat  upon  a  day  in  the  kraal  Umgu- 
gundhlovu,  waiting  till  his  impis  should  return  from  the 
Income  that  is  now  named  the  Blood  River.  He  had  sent 
them  thither  to  destroy  the  laager  of  the  Boers,  and  thence, 
as  he  thought,  they  would  presently  return  with  victory. 
Idly  he  sat  in  the  kraal,  watching  the  vultures  wheel  above 
the  Hill  of  Slaughter,  and  round  him  stood  a  regiment. 

“My  birds  are  hungry,”  he  said  to  a  councillor. 

“Doubtless  there  shall  soon  be  meat  to  feed  them,  O 
King !  ”  the  councillor  answered. 

As  he  spoke  one  came  near,  saying  that  a  woman  sought 
leave  to  speak  to  the  king  upon  some  great  matter. 

“Let  her  come,”  he  answered;  “I  am  sick  for  tidings, 
perhaps  she  can  tell  of  the  impi.” 

Presently  the  woman  was  led  in.  She  was  tall  and  fair, 
and  she  held  two  children  by  the  hand. 

“  What  is  thine  errand  ?  ”  asked  Dingaan. 

“Justice,  0  King,”  she  answered. 

“Ask  for  blood,  it  shall  be  easier  to  find.” 

“I  ask  blood,  0  King.” 

“  The  blood  of  whom  ?  ” 

“  The  blood  of  Bulalio  the  Slaughterer,  Chief  of  the  Peo¬ 
ple  of  the  Axe,  the  blood  of  Nada  the  Lily,  and  of  all  those 
who  cling  to  her.” 

Now  Dingaan  sprang  up  and  swore  an  oath  by  the  head 
of  the  Black  One  who  was  gone. 

“  What  ?  ”  he  cried,  “  does  the  Lily,  then,  live  as  the  sol¬ 
dier  thought ?  ” 

“She  lives,  O  King.  She  is  wife  to  the  Slaughterer,  and 
because  of  her  witchcraft  he  has  put  me,  his  first  wife, 
away  against  all  law  and  honour.  Therefore  I  ask  ven¬ 
geance  on  the  witch  and  vengeance  also  on  him  who  was 
my  husband.” 


264 


NAD  A  THE  LTLY 


“  Thou  art  a  good  wife,  ”  said  the  king.  “  May  my  watch¬ 
ing  spirit  save  me  from  such  a  one.  Hearken !  I  would 
gladly  grant  thy  desire,  for  I,  too,  hate  this  Slaughterer, 
and  I,  too,  would  crush  this  Lily.  Yet,  woman,  thou 
comest  in  a  bad  hour.  Here  I  have  but  one  regiment,  and 
I  think  that  the  Slaughterer  may  take  some  killing.  Wait 
till  my  im'pis  return  from  wiping  out  the  white  Amaboona, 
and  it  shall  be  as  thou  dost  desire.  Whose  are  those  chil¬ 
dren?  ” 

“  They  are  my  children  and  the  children  of  Bulalio,  who 
was  my  husband.” 

“  The  children  of  him  whom  thou  wouldst  cause  to  be 
slain.” 

“  Yea,  King.” 

“  Surely,  woman,  thou  art  as  good  a  mother  as  wife !  ”  said 
Dingaan.  “Now  I  have  spoken — begone!  ” 

But  the  heart  of  Zinita  was  hungry  for  vengeance,  ven¬ 
geance  swift  and  terrible,  on  the  Lily,  who  lay  in  her  place, 
and  on  her  husband,  who  had  thrust  her  aside  for  the  Lily’s 
sake.  She  did  not  desire  to  wait — no,  not  even  for  an  hour. 

“  Hearken,  0  King !  ”  she  cried,  “  the  tale  is  not  yet  all 
told.  This  man,  Bulalio,  plots  against  thy  throne  with 
Mopo,  son  of  Makedama,  who  was  thy  councillor.” 

“He  plots  against  my  throne,  woman?  The  lizard  plots 
against  the  cliff  on  which  it  suns  itself?  Then  let  him 
plot;  and  as  for  Mopo,  I  will  catch  him  yet!  ” 

“Yes,  0  King!  but  that  is  not  all  the  tale.  This  man 
has  another  name — he  is  named  Umslopogaas,  son  of  Mopo. 
But  he  is  no  son  of  Mopo :  he  is  son  to  the  Black  One  who 
is  dead,  the  mighty  king  who  was  thy  brother,  by  Baleka, 
sister  to  Mopo.  Y es,  I  know  it  from  the  lips  of  Mopo.  I 
know  all  the  tale.  He  is  heir  to  thy  throne  by  blood,  O 
King,  and  thou  sittest  in  his  place.” 

Bor  a  little  while  Dingaan  sat  astounded.  Then  he  com¬ 
manded  Zinita  to  draw  near  and  tell  him  that  tale. 

Nov  behind  the  stool  on  which  he  sat  stood  two  council¬ 
lors  only,  nobles  whom  Dingaan  loved,  and  these  alone  had 
heaid  the  last  words  of  Zinita.  He  bade  these  nobles  stand 
in  fiont  of  him,  out  of  earshot  and  away  from  every  other 


ZrNITA  COMES  TO  THE  KING 


265 


man.  Then  Zinita  drew  near,  and  told  Dingaan  the  tale  of 
the  birth  of  Umslopogaas  and  all  that  followed,  and,  by 
many  a  token  and  many  a  deed  of  Chaka’s  which  he  remem¬ 
bered,  Dingaan  the  king  knew  that  it  was  a  true  story. 

When  at  length  she  had  done,  he  summoned  the  captain 
of  the  regiment  that  stood  around:  he  was  a  great  man 
named  Baku,  and  he  also  summoned  certain  men  who  do 
the  king’s  bidding.  To  the  captain  of  the  impi  he  spoke 
sharply,  saying: — 

“  Take  three  companies  and  guides,  and  come  by  night  to 
the  town  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  that  is  by  Ghost  Moun¬ 
tain,  and  burn  it,  and  slay  all  the  wizards  who  sleep  therein. 
Most  of  all,  slay  the  Chief  of  the  People,  who  is  named 
Bulalio  the  Slaughterer  or  Umslopogaas.  Kill  him  by  tor¬ 
ture  if  you  may,  but  kill  him  and  bring  his  head  to  me. 
Take  that  wife  of  his,  who  is  known  as  Nada  the  Lily,  alive 
if  ye  can,  and  bring  her  to  me,  for  I  would  cause  her  to  be 
slain  here.  Bring  the  cattle  also.  Now  go,  and  go  swiftly, 
this  hour.  If  ye  return,  having  failed  in  one  jot  of  my 
command,  ye  die,  every  one  of  you — ye  die,  and  slowly. 
Begone ! ” 

The  captain  saluted,  and,  running  to  his  regiment,  issued 
a  command.  Three  full  companies  leapt  forward  at  his 
word,  and  ran  after  him  through  the  gates  of  the  kraal 
Umgugundhlovu,  heading  for  the  Ghost  Mountain. 

Then  Dingaan  called  to  those  who  do  the  king’s  bidding, 
and,  pointing  to  the  two  nobles,  his  councillors,  who  had 
heard  the  words  of  Zinita,  commanded  that  they  should  be 
killed. 

The  nobles  heard,  and,  having  saluted  the  king,  covered 
their  faces,  knowing  that  they  must  die  because  they  had 
learned  too  much.  So  they  were  killed.  Now  it  was  one 
of  these  councillors  who  had  said  that  doubtless  meat  would 
soon  be  found  to  feed  the  king’s  birds. 

Then  the  king  commanded  those  who  do  his  bidding  that 
they  should  take  the  children  of  Zinita  and  make  away  with 
them. 

But  when  Zinita  heard  this  she  cried  aloud,  for  she  loved 
her  children.  Then  Dingaan  mocked  her. 


2  66 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“What?”  he  said,  “art  tliou  a  fool  as  well  as  wicked? 
Thou  sayest  that  thy  husband,  whom  thou  hast  given  to 
death,  is  born  of  one  who  is  dead,  and  is  heir  to  my  throne. 
Thou  sayest  also  that  these  children  are  born  of  him;  there¬ 
fore,  when  he  is  dead,  they  will  be  heirs  to  my  throne.  Am  I 
then  mad  that  I  should  suffer  them  to  live?  Woman,  thou 
hast  fallen  into  thine  own  trap.  Take  them  away !  ” 

Now  Zinita  tasted  of  the  cup  which  she  had  brewed  for 
other  lips,  and  grew  distraught  in  her  misery,  and  wrung 
her  hands,  crying  that  she  repented  her  of  the  evil  and 
would  warn  Umslopogaas  and  the  Lily  of  that  which 
awaited  them.  And  she  turned  to  run  towards  the  gates. 
But  the  king  laughed  and  nodded,  and  they  brought  her 
back,  and  presently  she  was  dead  also. 

Thus,  then,  my  father,  prospered  the  wickedness  of 
Zinita,  the  head  wife  of  Umslopogaas,  my  fosterling. 

Now  these  were  the  last  slayings  that  were  wrought  at 
the  kraal  Umgugundhlovu,  for  just  as  Dingaan  had  made 
an  end  of  them  and  once  more  grew  weary,  he  lifted  his 
eyes  and  saw  the  hillsides  black  with  men,  who  by  their 
dress  were  of  his  own  impi — men  whom  he  had  sent  out 
against  the  Boers. 

And  yet  where  was  the  proud  array,  where  the  plumes  and 
shields,  where  the  song  of  victory?  Here,  indeed,  were 
soldiers,  but  they  walked  in  groups  like  women  and  hung 
their  heads  like  chidden  children. 

Then  he  learned  the  truth.  The  impi  had  been  defeated 
by  the  banks  of  the  Income ;  thousands  had  perished  at  the 
laager,  mowed  down  by  the  guns  of  the  Boers,  thousands 
more  had  been  drowned  in  the  Income,  till  the  waters  were 
red  and  the  bodies  of  the  slain  pushed  each  other  under, 
and  those  who  still  lived  walked  upon  them. 

Dingaan  heard,  and  was  seized  with  fear,  for  it  was  said 
that  the  Amaboona  followed  fast  on  the  track  of  the  con¬ 
quered. 

That  day  he  fled  to  the  bush  on  the  Black  Umfolozi  river, 
and  that  night  the  sky  was  crimson  with  the  burning  of  the 
kraal  Umgugundhlovu,  where  the  Elephant  should  trumpet 


‘  Galazi  sat  on  the  lap  of  the  Stone  Witch  .  .  Greysnout 

whined  at  his  side.’ 


ZINITA  COMES  TO  THE  KING 


267 


110  more,  and  the  vultures  were  scared  from  the  Hill  of 
Slaughter  by  the  roaring  of  the  flames. 

***** 

Galazi  sat  on  the  lap  of  the  stone  Witch,  gazing  towards 
the  wide  plains  below,  that  were  yet  white  with  the  moon, 
though  the  night  grew  towards  the  morning.  Greysnout 
whined  at  his  side,  and  Deathgrip  thrust  his  muzzle  into 
his  hand;  but  Galazi  took  no  heed,  for  he  was  brooding  on 
the  fall  of  Umslopogaas  from  the  man  that  lie  had  been  to 
the  level  of  a  woman’s  slave,  and  on  the  breaking  up  of  the 
People  of  the  Axe,  because  of  the  coming  of  Nada.  For  all 
the  women  and  children  were  gone  to  this  Feast  of  Women, 
and  would  not  return  for  long,  and  it  seemed  to  Galazi  that 
many  of  the  men  had  slipped  away  also,  as  though  they 
smelt  some  danger  from  afar. 

“Ah,  Deathgrip,”  said  Galazi  aloud  to  the  wild  brute  at 
his  side,  “changed  is  the  Wolf  King  my  brother,  all 
changed  because  of  a  woman’s  kiss.  Now  he  hunts  no 
more,  no  more  shall  Groan-Maker  be  aloft;  it  is  a  woman’s 
kiss  he  craves,  not  the  touch  of  your  rough  tongue,  it  is  a 
woman’s  hand  he  holds,  not  the  smooth  haft  of  horn,  he, 
who  of  all  men,  was  the  fiercest  and  the  first;  for  this  last 
shame  has  overtaken  him.  Surely  Chaka  was  a  great  king 
though  an  evil,  and  he  showed  his  greatness  when  he  for¬ 
bade  marriage  to  the  warriors,  marriage  that  makes  the 
heart  soft  and  turns  blood  to  water.” 

Now  Galazi  ceased,  and  gazed  idly  towards  the  kraal  of 
the  People  of  the  Axe,  and  as  he  looked  his  eyes  caught  a 
gleam  of  light  that  seemed  to  travel  in  and  out  of  the  edge 
of  the  shadow  of  Ghost  Mountain  as  a  woman’s  needle 
travels  through  a  skin,  now  seen  and  now  lost  in  the  skin. 

He  started  and  watched.  Ah!  there  the  light  came  out 
from  the  shadow.  Now,  by  Chaka’ s  head,  it  was  the  light 
of  spears! 

One  moment  more  Galazi  watched.  It  was  a  little  impi, 
perhaps  they  numbered  two  hundred  men,  running  silently, 
but  not  to  battle,  for  they  wore  no  plumes.  Yet  they  went 
out  to  kill,  for  they  ran  in  companies,  and  each  man  carried 
assegais  and  a  shield. 


268 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Now  Galazi  had  heard  tell  of  such  impis  that  hunt 
night,  and  he  knew  well  that  these  were  the  king’s  dogs, 
and  their  game  was  men,  a  big  kraal  of  sleeping  men,  other¬ 
wise  there  had  been  fewer  dogs.  Is  a  whole  pack  sent  out 
to  catch  an  antelope  on  its  form?  Galazi  wondered  whom 
they  sought.  Ah!  now  they  turned  to  the  ford,  and  he 
knew.  It  was  his  brother  Umslopogaas  and  Nada  the  Lily 
and  the  People  of  the  Axe.  These  were  the  king’s  dogs, 
and  Zinita  had  let  them  slip.  For  this  reason  she  had 
called  a  feast  of  women,  and  taken  the  children  with  her ; 
for  this  reason  so  many  had  been  summoned  from  the  kraal 
by  one  means  or  another:  it  was  that  they  might  escape 
the  slaughter. 

Galazi  bounded  to  his  feet.  For  one  moment  he  thought. 
Might  not  these  hunters  be  hunted?  Could  he  not  destroy 
them  by  the  jaws  of  the  wolves  as  once  before  they  had  de¬ 
stroyed  a  certain  impi  of  the  king’s.  Ay,  if  he  had  seen 
them  but  one  hour  before,  then  scarcely  a  man  of  them 
should  have  lived  to  reach  the  stream,  for  he  would  have 
waylaid  them  with  his  wolves.  But  now  it  might  not  be ;  the 
soldiers  neared  the  ford,  and  Galazi  knew  well  that  his  grey 
people  would  not  hunt  on  the  further  plain,  though  for  this 
he  had  heard  one  reason  only,  that  which  was  given  him  by 
the  lips  of  the  dead  in  a  dream. 

What,  then,  might  be  done  ?  One  thing  alone :  warn 
Umslopogaas.  Yet  how  ?  For  him  who  could  swim  a 
rushing  river,  there  was,  indeed,  a  swifter  way  to  the  place 
of  the  People  of  the  Axe — a  way  that  was  to  the  path  of 
the  impi  as  is  the  bow-string  to  the  strung  bow.  And  yet 
they  had  travelled  wellnigh  half  the  length  of  the  bow. 
Still,  he  might  do  it,  he  whose  feet  were  the  swiftest  in  the 
land,  except  those  of  Umslopogaas.  At  the  least,  he  would 
try.  Mayhap,  the  impi  would  tarry  to  drink  at  the  ford. 

So  Galazi  thought  in  his  heart,  and  his  thought  was  swift 
as  the  light.  Then  with  a  bound  he  was  away  down  the 
mountain  side.  From  boulder  to  boulder  he  leapt  like  a 
buck,  he  crashed  through  the  brake  like  a  bull,  he  skimmed 
the  level  like  a  swallow.  The  mountain  was  travelled  now; 
there  in  front  of  him  lay  the  yellow  river  foaming  in  its 


ZINITA  COMES  TO  THE  KING 


269 


flood,  so  lie  had  swam  it  before  when  he  went  to  seek  the 
dead.  Ah!  a  good  leap  far  out  into  the  torrent;  it  was 
strong,  but  he  breasted  it.  He  was  through,  he  stood  upon 
the  bank  shaking  the  water  from  him  like  a  dog,  and  nowr 
he  was  away  up  the  narrow  gorge  of  stone  to  the  long  slope, 
running  low  as  his  wolves  ran. 

Before  him  lay  the  town — one  side  shone  silver  with  the 
sinking  moon,  one  was  grey  with  the  breaking  dawn.  Ah! 
they  were  there,  he  saw  them  moving  through  the  grass  by 
the  eastern  gate ;  he  saw  the  long  lines  of  slayers  creep  to 
the  left  and  the  right. 

How  could  he  pass  them  before  the  circle  of  death  was 
drawn?  Six  spear-throws  to  run,  and  they  had  but  such  a 
little  way !  The  mealie-plants  were  tall,  and  at  a  spot  they 
almost  touched  the  fence.  Up  the  path!  Could  Umslopo- 
gaas,  his  brother,  move  more  fast,  he  wondered,  than  the 
Wolf  who  sped  to  save  him?  He  was  there,  hidden  by  the 
mealie  stalks,  and  there,  along  the  fence  to  the  right  and  to 
the  left,  the  slayers  crept! 

“ Wow l  What  was  that?”  said  one  soldier  of  the  king  to 
another  man  as  they  joined  their  guard  completing  the  death 
circle.  “  Wow  !  something  great  and  black  crashed  through 
the  fence  before  me.” 

“ I  heard  it,  brother,”  answered  the  other  man.  “  I  heard 
it,  but  I  saw  nothing.  It  must  have  been  a  dog :  no  man 
could  leap  so  high.” 

“More  like  a  wolf,”  said  the  first;  “at  the  least,  let  us 
pray  that  it  was  not  an  Esedowan 1  who  will  put  us  into 
the  hole  in  its  back.  Is  your  fire  ready,  brother  ?  Wow ! 
these  wizards  shall  wake  warm;  the  signal  should  be  soon.” 

Then  arose  the  sound  of  a  great  voice  crying,  “  Awake, 
ye  sleepers,  the  foe  is  at  your  gates !  ” 

1  A  fabulous  animal,  reported  by  the  Zulus  to  carry  off  human  beings  in 
a  hole  in  its  back. 


270 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  END  OF  THE  PEOPLE,  BLACK  AND  GREY. 

Galazi  rushed  through  the  town  crying  aloud,  and 
behind  him  rose  the  stir  of  men.  All  slept  and  no  senti¬ 
nels  were  set,  for  Umslopogaas  was  so  lost  in  his  love  for 
the  Lily  that  he  forgot  his  wisdom,  and  thought  no  more  of 
war  or  death  or  of  the  hate  of  Dingaan.  Presently  the 
Wolf  came  to  the  large  new  hut  which  Umslopogaas  had 
caused  to  be  built  for  Xada  the  Lily,  and  entered  it,  for  there 
he  knew  that  he  should  find  his  brother  Bulalio.  On  the 
far  side  of  the  hut  the  two  lay  sleeping,  and  the  head  of 
Umslopogaas  rested  on  the  Lily’s  breast,  and  by  his  side 
gleamed  the  great  axe  Groan-Maker. 

“  Awake  !  ”  cried  the  Wolf. 

Xow  Umslopogaas  sprang  to  his  feet  grasping  at  his  axe, 
but  Xada  threw  her  arms  wide,  murmuring :  “Let  me  sleep 
on,  sweet  is  sleep.” 

“  Sound  shall  ye  sleep  anon  !  ”  gasped  Galazi.  “  Swift, 
brother,  bind  on  the  wolf’s  hide,  take  shield !  Swift,  I  say 
— for  the  Slayers  of  the  king  are  at  your  gates  !  ” 

Xow  Xada  sprang  up  also,  and  they  did  his  bidding  like 
people  in  a  dream ;  and,  while  they  found  their  garments 
and  a  shield,  Galazi  took  beer  and  drank  it,  and  got  his 
breath  again.  They  stood  without  the  hut.  Xow  the 
heaven  was  grey,  and  east  and  west  and  north  and  south 
tongues  of  flame  shot  up  against  the  sky,  for  the  town  had 
been  fired  by  the  Slayers. 

Umslopogaas  looked  and  his  sense  came  back  to  him:  lm 
understood.  “Which  way,  brother?”  he  said. 

“Through  the  fire  and  the  impi  to  our  Grey  People  on 
the  mountain,”  said  Galazi.  “There,  if  we  can  win  it,  we 
shall  find  succour.” 

“  What  of  my  people  in  the  kraal?  ”  asked  Umslopogaas. 

“  They  are  not  many,  brother;  the  women  and  the  chil¬ 
dren  are  gone.  I  have  roused  the  men — most  will  escape. 
Hence,  ere  we  burn  !  ” 


END  OF  THE  PEOPLE,  BLACK  AND  GREY  271 


Now  they  ran  towards  the  fence,  and  as  they  went  men 
joined  them  to  the  number  of  ten,  half  awakened,  fear- 
stricken,  armed — some  with  spears,  some  with  clubs — and 
for  the  most  part  naked.  They  sped  on  together  towards  the 
fence  of  the  town  that  was  now  but  a  ring  of  fire,  Umslopo- 
gaas  and  Galazi  in  front,  each  holding  the  Lily  by  a  hand. 
They  neared  the  fence — from  without  came  the  shouts  of 
the  Slayers — lo !  it  was  afire.  Nada  shrank  back  in  fear, 
but  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi  dragged  her  on.  They  rushed 
at  the  blazing  fence,  smiting  with  axe  and  club.  It  broke 
before  them,  they  were  through  but  little  harmed.  With¬ 
out  were  a  knot  of  the  Slayers,  standing  back  a  small  space 
because  of  the  heat  of  the  flames.  The  Slayers  saw  them, 
and  crying,  “This  is  Bulalio,  kill  the  wizard !”  sprang 
towards  them  with  uplifted  spears.  Now  the  People  of 
the  Axe  made  a  ring  round  Nada,  and  in  the  front  of  it 
were  Umslopogaas  and  Galazi.  Then  they  rushed  on  and 
met  those  of  the  Slayers  who  stood  before  them,  and  the  mer 
of  Dingaan  were  swept  away  and  scattered  by  Groan-Maker 
and  the  Watcher,  as  dust  is  swept  of  a  wind,  as  grass  is 
swept  by  a  sickle. 

They  were  through  with  only  one  man  slain,  but  the  cry 
went  up  that  the  chief  of  the  wizards  and  the  Lily,  his 
wife,  had  fled.  Then,  as  it  was  these  whom  he  was  chiefly 
charged  to  kill,  the  captain  called  off  the  impi  from  watch¬ 
ing  for  the  dwellers  in  the  town,  and  started  in  pursuit 
of  Umslopogaas.  Now,  at  this  time  nearly  a  hundred 
men  of  the  People  of  the  Axe  had  been  killed  and  of  the 
Slayers  some  fifty  men,  for,  having  been  awakened  by  the 
crying  of  Galazi,  the  soldiers  of  the  axe  fought  bravely, 
though  none  saw  where  his  brother  stood,  and  none  knew 
whither  their  chief  had  fled  except  those  ten  who  went  with 
the  brethren. 

Meanwhile,  the  Wolf-Brethren  and  those  with  them  were 
well  away,  and  it  had  been  easy  for  them  to  escape,  who 
were  the  swiftest-footed  of  any  in  the  land.  But  the  pace 
of  a  regiment  is  the  pace  of  its  slowest-footed  soldier,  and 
Nada  could  not  run  with  the  Wolf-Brethren.  Yet  they 
made  good  speed,  and  were  halfway  down  the  gorge  that 


272 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


led  to  the  river  before  the  companies  of  Dingaan  poured 
into  it.  Now  they  came  to  the  end  of  it,  and  the  foe  was 
near — this  end  of  the  gorge  is  narrow,  my  father,  like  the 
neck  of  a  gourd — then  Galazi  stopped  and  spoke  : — - 

“Halt !  ye  People  of  the  Axe,”  he  said,  “and  let  us  talk 
awhile  with  these  who  follow  till  we  get  our  breath  again. 
But  you,  my  brother,  pass  the  river  with  the  Lily  in  your 
hand.  We  will  join  you  in  the  forest;  but  if  perchance  we 
cannot  find  you,  you  know  what  must  be  done :  set  the  Lily 
in  the  cave,  then  return  and  call  up  the  grey  impi.  Wow  ! 
my  brother,  I  must  find  you  if  I  may,  for  if  these  men  of 
Dingaan  have  a  mind  for  sport  there  shall  be  such  a  hunt¬ 
ing  on  the  Ghost  Mountain  as  the  old  Witch  has  not  seen. 
Go  now,  my  brother !  ” 

“  It  is  not  my  way  to  turn  and  run  while  others  stand 
and  fight,”  growled  Umslopogaas;  “yet,  because  of  Nada, 
it  seems  that  I  must.” 

“  Oh  !  heed  me  not,  my  love,”  said  Nada,  “I  have  brought 
the  sorrow — I  am  weary,  let  me  die ;  kill  me  and  save 
yourselves !  ” 

For  answer,  Umslopogaas  took  her  by  the  hand  and  fled 
towards  the  river ;  but  before  he  reached  it  he  heard  the 
sounds  of  the  fray,  the  war-cry  of  the  Slayers  as  they 
poured  upon  the  People  of  the  Axe,  the  howl  of  his  brother, 
the  Wolf,  when  the  battle  joined — ay,  and  the  crash  of  the 
Watcher  as  the  blow  went  home. 

“Well  bitten,  Wolf!”  he  said,  stopping;  “that  one  shall 
need  no  more;  oh!  that  I  might” — but  again  he  looked  at 
Nada,  and  sped  on. 

Now  they  had  leaped  into  the  foaming  river,  and  here  it 
was  well  that  the  Lily  could  swim,  else  both  had  been  lost. 
But  they  won  through  and  passed  forward  to  the  mountain’s 
flank.  Here  they  walked  on  among  the  trees  till  the  forest 
was  almost  passed,  and  at  length  Umslopogaas  heard  the 
howling  of  a  wolf. 

Then  he  must  set  Nada  on  his  shoulders  and  carry  her  as 
once  Galazi  had  carried  another,  for  it  was  death  for  any 
except  the  Wolf-Brethren  to  walk  on  the  Ghost  Mountain 
when  the  wolves  were  awake. 


END  OF  THE  PEOPLE ,  BLACK  AND  GREY  273 


Presently  the  wolves  flocked  around  him,  and  leaped  upon 
him  in  joy,  glaring  with  fierce  eyes  at  her  who  sat  upon  his 
shoulders.  Nada  saw  them,  and  almost  fell  from  her  seat, 
fainting  with  fear,  for  they  were  many  and  dreadful,  and 
when  they  howled  her  blood  turned  to  ice. 

But  Umslopogaas  cheered  her,  telling  her  that  these  were 
his  dogs  with  whom  he  went  out  hunting,  and  with  whom 
he  should  hunt  presently.  At  length  they  came  to  the 
knees  of  the  Old  Witch  and  the  entrance  to  the  cave.  It 
was  empty  except  for  a  wolf  or  two,  for  Galazi  abode  here 
seldom  now ;  but  when  he  was  on  the  mountain  would  sleep 
in  the  forest,  which  was  nearer  the  kraal  of  his  brother  the 
Slaughterer. 

“Here  you  must  stay,  sweet,”  said  Umslopogaas  when  he 
had  driven  out  the  wolves.  “  Here  you  must  rest  till  this 
little  matter  of  the  Slayers  is  finished.  Would  that  we  had 
brought  food,  but  we  had  little  time  to  seek  it!  See,  now  I 
will  show  you  the  secret  of  the  stone ;  thus  far  I  will  push  it, 
no  farther.  Now  a  touch  only  is  needed  to  send  it  over  the 
socket  and  home ;  but  then  they  must  be  two  strong  men  who 
can  pull  it  back  again.  Therefore  push  it  no  farther  except 
in  the  utmost  need,  lest  it  remain  where  it  fall,  whether  you 
will  it  or  not.  Have  no  fear,  you  are  safe  here  ;  none  know 
of  this  place  except  Galazi,  myself  and  the  wolves,  and  none 
shall  find  it.  Now  I  must  be  going  to  find  Galazi,  if  he  still 
lives ;  if  not,  to  make  what  play  I  can  against  the  Slayers, 
alone  with  the  wolves.” 

Now  Nada  wept,  saying  that  she  feared  to  be  left,  and  that 
she  should  never  see  him  more,  and  her  grief  wrung  his  heart. 
Nevertheless,  Umslopogaas  kissed  her  and  went,  closing  the 
stone  after  him  in  that  fashion  of  which  he  had  spoken. 
When  the  stone  was  shut  the  cave  was  almost  dark,  except 
for  a  ray  of  light  that  entered  by  a  hole  little  larger  than  a 
man’s  hand,  that,  looked  at  from  within,  was  on  the  right 
of  the  stone.  Nada  sat  herself  so  that  this  ray  struck  full 
on  her,  for  she  loved  light,  and  without  it  she  would  pine 
as  flowers  do.  There  she  sat  and  thought  in  the  darksome 
cave,  and  was  filled  with  fear  and  sorrow.  And  while  she 
brooded  thus,  suddenly  the  ray  went  out,  and  she  heard  a 

- - -  T 


274 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


noise  as  of  some  beast  that  smells  at  prey.  She  looked,  and 
in  the  gloom  she  saw  the  sharp  nose  and  grinning  fangs  of 
a  wolf  that  were  thrust  towards  her  through  the  little  hole. 

Nada  cried  aloud  in  fear,  and  the  fangs  were  snatched 
back,  but  presently  she  heard  a  scratching  without  the  cave, 
and  saw  the  stone  shake.  Then  she  thought  in  her  foolish¬ 
ness  that  the  wolf  knew  how  to  open  the  stone,  and  that  he 
would  do  this,  and  devour  her,  for  she  had  heard  the  tale 
that  all  these  wolves  were  the  ghosts  of  evil  men,  having 
the  understanding  of  men.  So,  in  her  fear  and  folly,  she 
seized  the  rock  and  dragged  on  it  as  Umslopogaas  had 
shown  her  how  to  do.  It  shook,  it  slipped  over  the  socket 
ledge,  and  rolled  home  like  a  pebble  down  the  mouth  of  a 
gourd. 

“Now  I  am  safe  from  the  wolves,”  said  Nada.  “See,  I 
cannot  so  much  as  stir  the  stone  from  within,  and  still  less 
can  they  do  so  from  without.”  And  she  laughed  a  little, 
then  ceased  from  laughing  and  spoke  again.  “Yet  it  would 
be  ill  if  Umslopogaas  came  back  no  more  to  roll  away  that 
rock,  for  then  I  should  be  like  one  in  a  grave — as  one  who 
is  placed  in  a  grave  being  yet  strong  and  quick.”  She 
shuddered  as  she  thought  of  it,  but  presently  started  up 
and  set  her  ear  to  the  hole  to  listen,  for  from  far  down  the 
mountain  there  rose  a  mighty  howling  and  a  din  of  men. 

When  Umslopogaas  had  shut  the  cave,  he  moved  swiftly 
down  the  mountain,  and  with  him  went  certain  of  the  wolves ; 
not  all,  for  he  had  not  summoned  them.  His  heart  was  heavy, 
for  he  feared  that  Galazi  was  no  more.  Also  he  was  mad 
with  rage,  and  plotted  in  himself  to  destroy  the  Slayers  of 
the  king,  every  man  of  them;  but  first  he  must  learn  what 
they  would  do.  Presently,  as  he  wended,  he  heard  a  long, 
low  howl  far  away  in  the  forest;  then  he  rejoiced,  for  he 
knew  the  call — it  was  the  call  of  Galazi,  who  had  escaped 
the  spears  of  the  Slayers. 

Swiftly  he  ran,  calling  in  answer.  He  won  the  place. 
There,  seated  on  a  stone  resting  himself,  was  Galazi,  and 
round  him  surged  the  numbers  of  the  Grey  People.  Umslo¬ 
pogaas  came  to  him  and  looked  at  him,  for  he  seemed  some- 


END  OF  THE  PEOPLE ,  BLACK  AND  GREY  275 


what  weary.  There  were  flesh  wounds  on  his  great  breast 
and  arms,  the  little  shield  was  wellnigh  hewn  to  strips,  and 
the  Watcher  showed  signs  of  war. 

“How  went  it,  brother  ?  ”  asked  Umslopogaas. 

“  Not  so  ill,  but  all  those  who  stood  with  me  in  the  way 
are  dead,  and  with  them  a  few  of  the  foe.  I  alone  am  fled 
like  a  coward.  They  came  on  us  thrice,  but  we  held  them 
back  till  the  Lily  was  safe ;  then,  all  our  men  being  down,  I 
ran,  Umslopogaas,  and  swam  the  torrent,  for  I  was  minded 
to  die  here  in  my  own  place.” 

Now,  though  he  said  little  of  it,  I  must  tell  you,  my 
father,  that  Galazi  had  made  a  great  slaughter  there  in  the 
neck  of  the  donga.  Afterwards  I  counted  the  slain,  and 
they  were  many ;  the  nine  men  of  the  People  of  the  Axe 
were  hidden  in  them. 

“  Perhaps  it  shall  be  the  Slayers  who  die,  brother.” 

“  Perhaps,  at  least,  there  shall  be  death  for  some.  Still 
it  is  in  my  mind,  Slaughterer,  that  our  brotherhood  draws 
to  an  end,  for  the  fate  of  him  who  bears  the  Watcher,  and 
which  my  father  foretold,  is  upon  me.  If  so,  farewell. 
While  it  lasted  our  friendship  has  been  good,  and  its  ending 
shall  be  good.  Moreover,  it  would  have  endured  for  many 
a  year  to  come  had  you  not  sought,  Slaughterer,  to  make 
good  better,  and  to  complete  our  joy  of  fellowship  and  war 
with  the  love  of  women.  From  that  source  flow  these  ills, 
as  a  river  from  a  spring  ;  but  so  it  was  fated.  If  I  fall  in 
this  fray  may  you  yet  live  on  to  fight  in  many  another,  and 
at  the  last  to  die  gloriously  with  axe  aloft ;  and  may  you 
find  a  brisker  man  and  a  better  Watcher  to  serve  you  in 
your  need.  Should  you  fall  and  I  live  on,  I  promise  this : 
I  will  avenge  you  to  the  last  and  guard  the  Lily  whom  you 
love,  offering  her  comfort,  but  no  more.  Now  the  foe  draws 
on,  they  have  travelled  round  about  by  the  ford,  for  they 
dared  not  face  the  torrent,  and  they  cried  to  me  that  they 
are  sworn  to  slay  us  or  be  slain,  as  Dingaan,  the  king,  com¬ 
manded.  So  the  fighting  will  be  of  the  best,  if,  indeed, 
they  do  not  run  before  the  fangs  of  the  Grey  People.  Now, 
Chief,  speak  your  word  that  I  may  obey  it.” 

Thus  Galazi  spoke  in  the  circle  of  the  wolves,  while 

t  2 


276 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


Umslopogaas  leaned  upon  his  Axe  Groan-Maker,  and  lis¬ 
tened  to  him,  ay,  and  wept  as  he  listened,  for  after  the 
Lily  and  me,  Mopo,  he  loved  Galazi  most  dearly  of  all  who 
lived.  Then  he  answered  :  — 

“Were  it  not  for  one  in  the  cave  above,  who  is  helpless 
and  tender,  I  would  swear  to  you,  Wolf,  that  if  you  fall,  on 
your  carcase  I  will  die ;  and  I  do  swear  that,  should  you  fall, 
while  I  live  Groan-Maker  shall  be  busy  from  year  to  year 
till  every  man  of  yonder  impi  is  as  you  are.  Perchance  I 
did  ill,  Galazi,  when  first  I  hearkened  to  the  words  of  Zinita 
and  suffered  women  to  come  between  us.  May  we  one  day 
find  a  land  where  there  are  no  women,  and  war  only,  for  in 
that  land  we  shall  grow  great.  But  now,  at  the  least,  we 
will  make  a  good  end  to  this  fellowship,  and  the  Grey 
People  shall  fight  their  fill,  and  the  old  Witch  who  sits 
aloft  waiting  for  the  world  to  die  shall  smile  to  see  that 
fight,  if  she  never  smiled  before.  This  is  my  word :  that  we 
fall  upon  the  men  of  Dingaan  twice,  once  in  the  glade  of 
the  forest  whither  they  will  come  presently,  and,  if  we  are 
beaten  back,  then  we  must  stand  for  the  last  time  on  the 
knees  of  the  Witch  in  front  of  the  cave  where  Nada  is. 
Say,  Wolf,  will  the  Grey  Folk  fight  ?  ” 

“  To  the  last,  brother,  so  long  as  one  is  left  to  lead  them, 
after  that  I  do  not  know  !  Still  they  have  only  fangs  to  set 
against  spears.  Slaughterer,  your  plan  is  good.  Come,  I  am 
rested.” 

So  they  rose  and  numbered  their  flock,  and  all  were  there, 
though  it  was  not  as  it  had  been  years  ago  when  first  the 
Wolf-Brethren  hunted  on  Ghost  Mountain;  for  many  of 
the  wolves  had  died  by  men’s  spears  when  they  harried  the 
kraals  of  men,  and  no  young  were  born  to  them.  Then,  as 
once  before,  the  pack  was  halved,  and  half,  the  she-wolves, 
went  with  Umslopogaas,  and  half,  the  dog-wolves,  went 
with  Galazi. 

Now  they  passed  down  the  forest  paths  and  hid  in  the 
tangle  of  the  thickets  at  the  head  of  the  darksome  glen,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  glen.  Here  they  waited  till  they  heard 
the  footfall  of  the  impi  of  the  king’s  Slayers,  as  it  came 
slowly  along  seeking  them.  In  front  of  the  impi  went  two 


END  OF  THE  PEOPLE ,  BLACK  AND  GREY  277 

soldiers  watching  for  an  ambush,  and  these  two  men  were 
the  same  who  had  talked  together  that  dawn  when  Galazi 
sprang  between  them.  Now  also  they  spoke  as  they  peered 
this  way  and  that ;  then,  seeing  nothing,  stood  awhile  in  the 
mouth  of  the  glen  waiting  the  coming  of  their  company  5  and 
their  words  came  to  the  ears  of  Umslopogaas. 

“  An  awful  place  this,  my  brother,”  said  one.  “  A  place 
full  of  ghosts  and  strange  sounds,  of  hands  that  seem  to  press 
us  back,  and  winnings  as  of  invisible  wolves.  It  is  named 
Ghost  Mountain,  and  well  named.  Would  that  the  king 
had  found  other  business  for  us  than  the  slaying  of  these 
sorcerers — for  they  are  sorcerers  indeed,  and  this  is  the 
home  of  their  sorceries.  Tell  me,  brother,  what  was  that 
which  leaped  between  us  this  morning  in  the  dark  !  I  say 
it  was  a  wizard.  Wow !  they  are  all  wizards.  Could  any 
who  was  but  a  man  have  done  the  deeds  which  he  who  is 
named  the  Wolf  wrought  down  by  the  river  yonder,  and  then 
have  escaped  ?  Had  the  Axe  but  stayed  with  the  Club  they 
would  have  eaten  up  our  impi.” 

“The  Axe  had  a  woman  to  watch,”  laughed  the  other. 
“  ^es>  it  is  true  this  is  a  place  of  wizards  and  evil  things. 
Methinks  I  see  the  red  eyes  of  the  Esedowana  glaring  at  us 
through  the  dark  of  the  trees  and  smell  their  smell.  Yet 
these  wizards  must  be  caught,  for  know  this,  my  brother : 
if  we  return  to  Umgugundhlovu  with  the  king’s  command 
undone,  then  there  are  stakes  hardening  in  the  fire  of  which 
we  shall  taste  the  point.  If  we  are  all  killed  in  the  catch¬ 
ing,  and  some,  it  seems  are  missing  already,  yet  they  must 
be  caught.  Say,  my  brother,  shall  we  draw  on  ?  The  impi 
is  nigh.  Would  that  Faku,  our  captain  yonder,  might  find 
two  others  to  take  our  place,  for  in  this  thicket  I  had  rather 
lun  last  than  first.  Well,  here  leads  the  spoor — a  wondrous 
mass  of  wolf-spoor  mixed  with  the  footprints  of  men ;  per¬ 
haps  they  are  sometimes  the  one  and  sometimes  the  other _ 

who  knows,  my  brother  ?  It  is  a  land  of  ghosts  and  wizards. 
Let  us  on  !  Let  us  on  !  ” 

Now  all  this  while  the  Wolf-Brethren  had  much  ado  to 
keep  their  people  quiet,  for  their  mouths  watered  and  their 
eyes  shone  at  the  sight  of  the  men,  and  at  length  it  could 


278 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


be  done  no  more,  for  with  a  howl  a  single  she-wolf  rushed 
from  her  lair  and  leapt  at  the  throat  of  the  man  who  spoke, 
nor  did  she  miss  her  grip.  Down  went  wolf  and  man, 
rolling  together  on  the  ground,  and  there  they  killed  each 
other. 

“  The  Esedowana !  the  Esedoiuana  are  upon  us !  ”  cried  the 
other  scout,  and,  turning,  fled  towards  the  impi.  But  he 
never  reached  it,  for  with  fearful  howlings  the  ghost-wolves 
broke  their  cover  and  rushed  on  him  from  the  right  and  the 
left,  and  lo !  there  was  nothing  of  him  left  except  his  spear 
alone. 

Now  a  low  cry  of  fear  rose  from  the  impi,  and  some  turned 
to  fly,  but  Faku,  the  captain,  a  great  and  brave  man,  shouted 
to  them,  “  Stand  firm,  children  of  the  king,  stand  firm,  these 
are  no  Esedoivana,  these  are  but  the  Wolf-Brethren  and  their 
pack.  What !  will  ye  run  from  dogs,  ye  who  have  laughed 
at  the  spears  of  men  ?  King  round  !  Stand  fast !  ” 

The  soldiers  heard  the  voice  of  their  captain,  and  they 
obeyed  his  voice,  forming  a  double  circle,  a  ring  within  a 
ring.  They  looked  to  the  right,  there,  Groan-Maker  aloft, 
the  wolf  fangs  on  his  brow,  the  worn  wolf-hide  streaming 
on  the  wind,  Bulalio  rushed  upon  them  like  a  storm,  and 
with  him  came  his  red-eyed  company.  They  looked  to  the 
left — ah,  well  they  know  that  mighty  Watcher  !  Have  they 
not  heard  his  strokes  down  by  the  river,  and  well  they  know 
the  giant  who  wields  it  like  a  wand,  the  W7olf  King,  with 
the  strength  of  ten  !  Wow !  They  are  here  !  See  the  people 
black  and  grey,  hear  them  howl  their  war-chant !  Look  how 
they  leap  like  water — leap  in  a  foam  of  fangs  against  the 
hedge  of  spears !  The  circle  is  broken ;  Groan-Maker  has 
broken  it!  Ha!  Galazi  also  is  through  the  double  ring;  now 
must  men  stand  back  to  back  or  perish ! 

How  long  did  it  last  ?  Who  can  say  ?  Time  flies  fast 
when  blows  fall  thick.  At  length  the  brethren  are  beaten 
back ;  they  break  out  as  they  broke  in,  and  are  gone,  with 
such  of  their  wolf-folk  as  were  left  alive.  Yet  that  impi  was 
somewhat  the  worse,  but  one-third  of  those  lived  who  looked 
on  the  sun  without  the  forest ;  the  rest  lay  smitten,  torn, 
mangled,  dead,  hidden  under  the  heaps  of  the  bodies  of 
wild  beasts. 


END  OF  THE  PEOPLE,  BLACK  AND  GREY  279 


“  Now  this  is  a  battle  of  evil  spirits  that  live  in  the  shapes 
of  wolves,  and  as  for  the  Wolf-Brethren,  they  are  sorcerers 
of  the  rarest/7  said  Baku  the  captain,  “  and  such  sorcerers  I 
love,  for  they  fight  furiously.  Yet  I  will  slay  them,  or  be 
slain.  At  the  least,  if  there  be  few  of  ns  left,  the  most  of 
the  wolves  are  dead  also,  and  the  arms  of  the  wizards  grow 
weary.’7 

So  he  moved  forward  up  the  mountain  with  those  of  the 
soldiers  who  remained,  and  all  the  way  the  wolves  harried 
them,  pulling  down  a  man  here  and  a  man  there ;  but  though 
they  heard  and  saw  them  cheering  on  their  pack  the  Wolf- 
Brethren  attacked  them  no  more,  for  they  saved  their 
strength  for  the  last  fight  of  all. 

The  road  was  long  up  the  mountain,  and  the  soldiers 
knew  little  of  the  path,  and  ever  the  ghost-wolves  harried 
on  their  flanks.  So  it  was  evening  before  they  came  to  the 
feet  of  the  stone  Witch,  and  began  to  climb  to  the  platform 
of  her  knees.  There,  on  her  knees  as  it  were,  they  saw  the 
Wolf-Brethren  standing  side  by  side,  such  a  pair  as  were 
not  elsewhere  in  the  world,  and  they  seemed  afire,  for  the 
sunset  beat  upon  them,  and  the  wolves  crept  round  their 
feet,  red  with  blood  and  fire. 

“A.  glorious  pair!”  quoth  great  Baku;  “ would  that  I 
fought  with  them  rather  than  against  them !  Yet,  they 
must  die !  ”  Then  he  began  to  climb  to  the  knees  of  the 
Witch. 

Now  Umslopogaas  glanced  up  at  the  stone  face  of  her  who 
sat  aloft,  and  it  was  alight  with  the  sunset. 

“  Said  I  not  that  the  old  Witch  should  smile  at  this  fray  ?  ” 
he  cried.  “Lo!  she  smiles!  Up,  Galazi,  let  us  spend  the 
remnant  of  our  people  on  the  foe,  and  fight  this  fight  out, 
man  to  man,  with  no  beast  to  spoil  it !  Ho !  Blood  and 
Greysnout !  ho !  Deathgrip !  ho !  wood-dwellers  grey  and 
black,  at  them,  my  children !  ” 

The  wolves  heard ;  they  were  few  and  they  were  sorry  to 
see,  with  weariness  and  wounds,  but  still  they  were  fierce. 
With  a  howl,  for  the  last  time  they  leaped  down  upon  the 
foe,  tearing,  harrying,  and  killing  till  they  themselves  were 
dead  by  the  spear,  every  one  of  them  except  Deathgrip,  who 
crept  back  sorely  wounded  to  die  with  Galazi. 


28o 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“Now  I  am  a  chief  without  a  people,”  cried  Galazi. 
“Well,  it  has  been  my  lot  in  life.  So  it  was  in  the  Halakazi 
kraals,  so  it  is  on  Ghost  Mountain  at  the  last,  and  so  also 
shall  it  be  even  for  the  greatest  kings  when  they  come  to 
their  ends,  seeing  that  they,  too,  must  die  alone.  Say, 
Slaughterer,  choose  where  you  will  stand,  to  the  left  or  to 
the  right.” 

Now,  my  father,  the  track  below  separated,  because  of  a 
boulder,  and  there  were  two  little  paths  that  led  to  the  plat* 
form  of  the  Witch’s  knees  with,  perhaps,  ten  paces  between 
them.  Umslopogaas  guarded  the  left-hand  path  and  Galazi 
took  the  right.  Then  they  waited,  having  spears  in  their 
hands.  Presently  the  soldiers  came  round  the  rock  and 
rushed  up  against  them,  some  on  one  path  and  some  on  the 
other. 

Then  the  brethren  hurled  their  spears  at  them  and  killed 
three  men.  Now  the  assegais  were  done,  and  the  foe  was 
on  them.  Umslopogaas  bends  forward,  his  long  arm  shoots 
out,  the  axe  gleams,  and  a  man  who  came  on  falls  back. 

“  One  !  ”  cries  Umslopogaas. 

“  One,  my  brother !  ”  answers  Galazi,  as  he  draws  back 
the  Watcher  from  his  blow. 

A  soldier  rushes  forward,  singing.  To  and  fro  he  moves 
in  front  of  Umslopogaas,  his  spear  poised  to  strike.  Groan- 
Maker  swoops  down,  but  the  man  leaps  back,  the  blow 
misses,  and  the  Slaughterer’s  guard  is  down. 

“  A  poor  stroke,  Sorcerer !  ”  cries  the  man  as  he  rushes  in 
to  stab  him.  Lo  !  the  axe  wheels  in  the  air,  it  circles  swiftly 
low  down  by  the  ground ;  it  smites  upward.  Before  the 
spearsman  can  strike  the  horn  of  Groan-Maker  has  sped 
from  chin  to  brain. 

“But  a  good  return,  fool !”  says  Umslopogaas. 

“  Two  !  ”  cries  Galazi,  from  the  right. 

“Two!  my  brother,”  answers  Umslopogaas. 

Again  two  men  come  on,  one  against  each,  to  find  no 
better  luck.  The  cry  of  “  Three!”  passes  from  brother  to 
brother,  and  after  it  rises  the  cry  of  “Four!” 

Now  Baku  bids  the  men  who  are  left  to  hold  their  shields 
together  and  push  the  two  from  the  mouths  of  the  paths, 


‘I  have  made  me  a  mat  of  men  to  sleep  on 


Victory  !  Victory  !  1 


END  OF  THE  PEOPLE, ,  BLACK  AND  GREY  281 


and  this  they  do,  losing  four  more  men  ac  the  hands  of  the 
brethren  before  it  is  done. 

“Now  we  are  on  the  open  !  King  them  round,  and  down 
with  them  !  ”  cries  Faku. 

But  who  shall  ring  round  Groan-Maker  that  shines  on  all 
sides  at  once,  Groan-Maker  who  falls  heavily  no  more,  but 
pecks  and  pecks  and  pecks  like  a  wood-bird  on  a  tree,  and 
never  pecks  in  vain.  Who  shall  ring  round  those  feet 
swifter  than  the  Sassaby  of  the  plains  ?  Wow  !  He  is  here  ! 
He  is  there  !  He  is  a  sorcerer  !  Death  is  in  his  hand,  and 
death  looks  out  of  his  eyes  ! 

Galazi  lives  yet,  for  still  there  comes  the  sound  of  the 
Watcher  as  it  thunders  on  the  shields,  and  the  Wolf’s  hoarse 
cry  of  the  number  of  the  slain.  He  has  a  score  of  wounds, 
yet  he  fights  on ;  his  leg  is  almost  hewn  from  him  with  an 
axe,  yet  he  fights  on !  His  back  is  pierced  again  and  again, 
yet  he  fights  on!  But  two  are  left  alive  before  him,  one 
twists  round  and  spears  him  from  behind.  He  heeds  it  not, 
but  smites  down  the  foe  in  front.  Then  he  turns  and, 
whirling  the  Watcher  on  high,  brings  him  down  for  the  last 
time,  and  so  mightily  that  the  man  before  him  is  crushed 
like  an  egg. 

Galazi  brushes  the  blood  from  his  eyes  and  glares  round 
on  the  dead.  “ All!  Slaughterer,”  he  cries. 

“All  save  two,  my  brother,”  comes  the  answer,  sounding 
above  the  clash  of  steel  and  the  sound  of  smitten  shields. 

Now  the  Wolf  would  come  to  him,  but  cannot,  for  his  life 
ebbs. 

“Fare  you  well,  my  brother!  Death  is  good!  Thus, 
indeed,  I  would  die,  for  I  have  made  me  a  mat  of  men  to 
lie  on,”  he  cried  with  a  great  voice. 

“Fare  you  well!  Sleep  softly,  Wolf!”  came  the  answer. 
“  All  save  one  !  ” 

Now  Galazi  fell  dying  on  the  dead,  but  he  was  not  alto¬ 
gether  gone,  for  he  still  spoke.  “All  save  one!  Ha!  ha! 
ill  for  that  one  then  when  Groan-Maker  yet  is  up.  It  is 
well  to  have  lived  so  to  die.  Victory !  Victory  !  ” 

And  Galazi  the  Wolf  struggled  to  his  knees  and  for  the 


282 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


last  time  shook  the  Watcher  about  his  head,  then  fell  again 
and  died. 

Umslopogaas,  the  son  of  Chaka,  and  Faku,  the  captain  of 
Dingaan,  gazed  on  each  other.  They  alone  were  left  stand¬ 
ing  upon  the  mountain,  for  the  rest  were  all  down.  Um¬ 
slopogaas  had  many  wounds.  Faku  was  unhurt ;  he  was  a 
strong  man,  also  armed  with  an  axe. 

Faku  laughed  aloud.  “So  it  has  come  to  this,  Slaugh¬ 
terer,”  he  said,  “that  you  and  I  must  settle  whether  the 
king’s  word  be  done  or  no.  Well,  I  will  say  that  how¬ 
ever  it  should  fall  out,  I  count  it  a  great  fortune  to  have 
seen  this  fight,  and  the  highest  of  honours  to  have  had  to 
do  with  two  such  warriors.  Rest  you  a  little,  Slaughterer, 
before  we  close.  That  wolf-brother  of  yours  died  well,  and 
if  it  is  given  me  to  conquer  in  this  bout,  I  will  tell  the  tale 
of  his  end  from  kraal  to  kraal  throughout  the  land,  and  it 
shall  be  a  tale  forever.” 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  LILY’S  FAREWELL. 

Umslopogaas  listened,  but  he  made  no  answer  to  the 
words  of  Faku  the  captain,  though  he  liked  them  well,  for 
he  would  not  waste  his  breath  in  talking,  and  the  light 
grew  low. 

“I  am  ready,  Man  of  Dingaan,”  he  said,  and  lifted  his  axe. 

Now  for  awhile  the  two  circled  round  and  round,  each 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  strike.  Presently  Faku  smote  at 
the  head  of  Umslopogaas,  but  the  Slaughterer  lifted  Groan- 
Maker  to  ward  the  blow.  Faku  crooked  his  arm  and  let  the 
axe  curl  downwards,  so  that  its  keen  edge  smote  Umslopo¬ 
gaas  upon  the  head,  severing  his  man’s  ring  and  the  scalp 
beneath. 

Made  mad  with  the  pain,  the  Slaughterer  awoke,  as  it 
were.  He  grasped  Groan-Maker  with  both  hands  and 
struck  thrice.  The  first  blow  hewed  away  the  plumes 


THE  LILY'S  FAREWELL 


283 


and  shield  of  Faku,  and  drove  him  back  a  spear’s  length, 
the  second  missed  its  aim,  the  third  and  mightiest  twisted 
in  his  wet  hands,  so  that  the  axe  smote  sideways.  Never¬ 
theless,  it  fell  full  on  -  the  breast  of  the  captain  Faku, 
shattering  his  bones,  and  sweeping  him  from  the  ledge 
of  rock  on  to  the  slope  beneath,  where  he  lay  still. 

“It  is  finished  with  the  daylight,”  said  Umslopogaas, 
smiling  grimly.  “Now,  Dingaan,  send  more  Slayers  to 
seek  your  slain,”  and  he  turned  to  find  Nada  in  the  cave. 

But  Faku  the  captain  was  not  yet  dead,  though  he  was 
hurt  to  the  death.  He  sat  up,  and  with  his  last  strength 
he  hurled  the  axe  in  his  hand  at  him  whose  might  had 
prevailed  against  him.  The  axe  sped  true,  and  Um¬ 
slopogaas  did  not  see  it  fly.  It  sped  true,  and  its  point 
struck  him  on  the  left  temple,  driving  in  the  bone  and 
making  a  great  hole.  Then  Faku  fell  back  dying,  and 
Umslopogaas  threw  up  his  arms  and  dropped  like  an  ox 
drops  beneath  the  blow  of  the  butcher,  and  lay  as  one  dead, 
under  the  shadow  of  a  stone. 

All  day  long  Nada  crouched  in  the  cave  listening  to  the 
sounds  of  war  that  crept  faintly  up  the  mountain  side; 
howling  of  wolves,  shouting  of  men,  and  the  clamour  of 
iron  on  iron.  All  day  long  she  sat,  and  now  evening  came 
apace,  and  the  noise  of  battle  drew  near,  swelled,  and  sank, 
and  died  away.  She  heard  the  voices  of  the  Wolf-Brethren 
as  they  called  to  each  other  like  bucks,  naming  the  number 
of  the  slain.  She  heard  Galazi’s  dying  cry  of  “  Victory  /” 
and  her  heart  leapt  to  it,  though  she  knew  that  there  was 
death  in  the  cry.  Then  for  the  last  time  she  heard  the 
faint  ringing  of  iron  on  iron,  and  the  light  went  out  and 
all  grew  still. 

All  grew  still  as  the  night.  There  came  no  more  shouting 
of  men  and  no  more  clash  of  arms,  no  bowlings  of  wolves, 
no  cries  of  pain  or  triumph — all  was  quiet  as  death,  for 
death  had  taken  all. 

For  awhile  Nada  the  Lily  sat  in  the  dark  of  the  cave, 
saying  to  herself,  “  Presently  he  will  come,  my  husband, 
he  will  surely  come ;  the  Slayers  are  slain — he  does  not 


284 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


but  tarry  to  bind  his  wounds ;  a  scratch,  perchance,  here 
and  there.  Yes,  he  will  come,  and  it  is  well,  for  I  am 
weary  of  my  loneliness,  and  this  place  is  grim  and  evil.” 

Thus  she  spoke  to  herself  in  hope,  but  nothing  came 
except  the  silence.  Then  she  spoke  again,  and  her  voice 
echoed  in  the  hollow  cave.  “Now  I  will  be  bold,  I  will 
fear  nothing,  I  will  push  aside  the  stone  and  go  out  to  find 
him.  I  know  well  he  does  but  linger  to  tend  some  who  are 
wounded,  perhaps  Galazi.  Doubtless  Galazi  is  wounded.  I 
must  go  and  nurse  him,  though  he  never  loved  me,  and  I  do 
not  love  him  overmuch  who  would  stand  between  me  and 
my  husband.  This  wild  wolf-man  is  a  foe  to  women,  and, 
most  of  all,  a  foe  to  me ;  yet  I  will  be  kind  to  him.  Come, 
I  will  go  at  once,”  and  she  rose  and  pushed  at  the  rock. 

Why,  what  was  this  ?  It  did  not  stir.  Then  she  remem¬ 
bered  that  she  had  pulled  it  beyond  the  socket  because  of 
her  fear  of  the  wolf,  and  that  the  rock  had  slipped  a  little 
way  down  the  neck  of  the  cave.  Umslopogaas  had  told 
her  that  she  must  not  do  this,  and  she  had  forgotten  his 
words  in  her  foolishness.  Perhaps  she  could  move  the 
stone ;  no,  not  by  the  breadth  of  a  grain  of  corn.  She  was 
shut  in,  without  food  or  water,  and  here  she  must  bide  till 
Umslopogaas  came.  And  if  he  did  not  come  ?  Then  she 
must  surely  die. 

Now  she  shrieked  aloud  in  her  fear,  calling  on  the  name  of 
Umslopogaas.  The  walls  of  the  cave  answered  “ Umslopo¬ 
gaas  !  Umslopogaas  !  ”  and  that  was  all. 

Afterwards  madness  fell  upon  Nada,  my  daughter,  and 
she  lay  in  the  cave  for  days  and  nights,  nor  knew  ever  how 
long  she  lay.  And  with  her  madness  came  visions,  for  she 
dreamed  that  the  dead  One  whom  Galazi  had  told  her  of 
sat  once  more  aloft  in  his  niche  at  the  end  of  the  cave  and 
spoke  to  her,  saying :  — 

“  Galazi  is  dead  !  The  fate  of  him  who  bears  the  Watcher 
has  fallen  on  him.  Dead  are  the  ghost-wolves ;  I  also  am 
dead  of  hunger  in  this  cave,  and  as  I  died  so  shall  you  die, 
Nada  the  Lily !  Nada,  Star  of  Death !  because  of  whose 
beauty  and  foolishness  all  this  death  has  come  about.” 


THE  LILY'S  FAREWELL 


285 


Thus  it  seemed  to  Nada,  in  her  madness,  that  the  shadow 
of  him  who  had  sat  in  the  niche  spoke  to  her  from  hour  to 
hour. 

It  seemed  to  Nada,  in  her  madness,  that  twice  the  light 
shone  through  the  hole  by  the  rock,  and  that  was  day,  and 
twice  it  went  out,  and  that  was  night.  A  third  time  the 
ray  shone  and  died  away,  and  lo !  her  madness  left  her, 
and  she  awoke  to  know  that  she  was  dying,  and  that  a 
voice  she  loved  spoke  without  the  hole,  saying,  in  hollow 
accents :  — 

“  Nada  ?  Do  you  still  live,  Nada  ?  ” 

“  Yea,”  she  answered  hoarsely.  “  Water !  give  me  water !  ” 

Next  she  heard  a  sound  as  of  a  great  snake  dragging  itself 
along  painfully.  A  while  passed,  then  a  trembling  hand 
thrust  a  little  gourd  of  water  through  the  hole.  She  drank, 
and  now  she  could  speak,  though  the  water  seemed  to  flow 
through  her  veins  like  fire. 

“Is  it  indeed  you,  Umslopogaas  ?  ”  she  said,  “or  are 
you  dead,  and  do  I  dream  of  you  ?  ” 

“It  is  I,  Nada,”  said  the  voice.  “Hearken!  have  you 
drawn  the  rock  home  ?  ” 

“  Alas  !  yes,”  she  answered.  “  Perhaps,  if  the  two  of  us 
strive  at  it,  it  will  move.” 

“  Ay,  if  our  strength  were  what  it  was— but  now  !  Still, 
let  us  try.” 

So  they  strove  with  the  rock,  but  the  two  of  them  together 
had  not  the  strength  of  a  girl,  and  it  would  not  stir. 

“  Give  over,  Umslopogaas,”  said  Nada ;  “we  do  but  waste 
the  time  that  is  left  to  me.  Let  us  talk  !  ” 

For  awhile  there  was  no  answer,  for  Umslopogaas  had 
fainted,  and  Nada  beat  her  breast,  thinking  that  he  was 
dead. 

Presently  he  spoke,  however,  saying,  “It  may  not  be; 
we  must  perish  here,  one  on  each  side  of  the  stone,  not 
seeing  the  other’s  face,  for  my  might  is  as  water ;  nor  can 
I  stand  upon  my  feet  to  go  and  seek  for  food.” 

“Are  you  wounded,  Umslopogaas  ?”  asked  Nada. 

“  Ay,  Nada,  I  am  pierced  to  the  brain  with  the  point  of 
an  axe ;  no  fair  stroke,  the  captain  of  Dingaan  hurled  it  at 


286 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


me  when  I  thought  him  dead,  and  I  fell.  I  do  not  know 
how  long  I  have  lain  yonder  under  the  shadow  of  the  rock, 
hut  it  must  be  long,  for  my  limbs  are  wasted,  and  those 
who  fell  in  the  fray  are  picked  clean  by  the  vultures,  all  '■ 
except  Galazi,  for  the  old  wolf  Deathgrip  lies  on  his  breast 
dying,  but  not  dead,  licking  my  brother’s  wounds,  and 
scares  the  fowls  away.  It  was  the  beak  of  a  vulture,  who 
had  smelt  me  out  at  last,  that  woke  me  from  my  sleep 
beneath  the  stone,  Nada,  and  I  crept  hither.  Would  that 
he  had  not  wakened  me,  would  that  I  had  died  as  I  lay, 
rather  than  lived  a  little  while  till  you  perish  thus,  like  a 
trapped  fox,  Nada,  and  presently  I  follow  you.” 

“It  is  hard  to  die  so,  Umslopogaas,”  she  answered,  “I 
who  am  yet  young  and  fair,  who  love  you,  and  hoped  to 
give  you  children;  but  so  it  has  come  about,  and  it  may 
not  be  put  away.  I  am  wellnigh  sped,  husband ;  horror 
and  fear  have  conquered  me,  my  strength  fails,  but  I  suffer 
little.  Let  us  talk  no  more  of  death,  let  us  rather  speak  of 
our  childhood,  when  we  wandered  hand  in  hand;  let  us 
talk  also  of  our  love,  and  of  the  happy  hours  that  we  have 
spent  since  your  great  axe  rang  upon  the  rock  in  the  Hala- 
kazi  caves,  and  my  fear  told  you  the  secret  of  my  woman¬ 
hood.  See,  I  thrust  my  hand  through  the  hole ;  _  can  you 
not  kiss  it,  Umslopogaas  ?  ” 

Now  Umslopogaas  stooped  his  shattered  head,  and  kissed 
the  Lily’s  little  hand,  then  he  held  it  in  his  own,  and  so 
they  sat  till  the  end — he  without,  resting  his  back  against 
the  rock,  she  within,  lying  on  her  side,  her  arm  stretched 
through  the  little  hole.  They  spoke  of  their  love,  and  tried 
to  forget  their  sorrow  in  it ;  he  told  her  also  of  the  fray 
that  had  been  and  how  it  went. 

“  Ah  !”  she  said,  “that  was  Zinita’s  work,  Zinita  who  hated 
me,  and  justly.  Doubtless  she  set  Dingaan  on  this  path.” 

“A  little  while  gone,”  quoth  Umslopogaas ;  “ and  I  hoped 
that  your  last  breath  and  mine  might  pass  together,  Nada, 
and  that  we  might  go  together  to  seek  great  Galazi,  my 
brother,  where  he  is.  Now  I  hope  that  help  will  find  me,  . 
and  that  I  may  live  a  little  while,  because  of  a  certain  ven¬ 
geance  which  I  would  wreak.” 


I 


‘Then  it  quivered  and  was  still  forever.’ 


THE  LILY'S  FAREWELL 


287 


“ Speak  not  of  vengeance,  husband,”  she  answered,  “I, 
too,  am  near  to  that  land  where  the  Slayer  and  the  Slain, 
the  Shedder  of  Blood  and  the  Avenger  of  Blood  are  lost 
in  the  same  darkness..  I  would  die  with  love,  and  love 
only,  in  my  heart,  and  your  name,  and  yours  only,  on  my 
lips,  so  that  if  anywhere  we  live  again  it  shall  be  ready  to 
spring  forth  to  greet  you.  Yet,  husband,  it  is  in  my  heart 
that  you  will  not  go  with  me,  but  that  you  shall  live  on  to 
die  the  greatest  of  deaths  far  away  from  here,  and  because 
of  another  woman.  It  seems  that,  as  I  lay  in  the  dark  of 
this  cave,  I  saw  you,  Umslopogaas,  a  great  man,  gaunt  and 
grey,  stricken  to  the  death,  and  the  axe  Groan-Maker  wav¬ 
ering  aloft,  and  many  a  man  dead  upon  a  white  and  shining 
way,  and  about  you  the  fair  faces  of  white  women ;  and 
you  had  a  hole  in  your  forehead,  husband,  on  the  left  side.” 

“  That  is  like  to  be  true,  if  I  live,”  he  answered,  “  for  the 
bone  of  my  temple  is  shattered.” 

Now  Nada  ceased  speaking,  and  for  a  long  while  was 
silent;  Umslopogaas  was  also  silent  and  torn  with  pain  and 
sorrow  because  he  must  lose  the  Lily  thus,  and  she  must  die 
so  wretchedly,  for  one  reason  only,  that  the  cast  of  Baku  had 
robbed  him  of  his  strength.  Alas  !  he  who  had  done  many 
deeds  might  not  save  her  now ;  he  could  scarcely  hold  him¬ 
self  upright  against  the  rock.  He  thought  of  it,  and  the 
tears  flowed  down  his  face  and  fell  on  to  the  hand  of  the 
Lily.  She  felt  them  fall  and  spoke. 

“  Weep  not,  my  husband,”  she  said,  “  I  have  been  all  too 
ill  a  wife  to  you.  Do  not  mourn  for  me,  yet  remember  that  I 
loved  you  well.”  And  again  she  was  silent  for  a  long  space. 

Then  she  spoke  for  the  last  time  of  all,  and  her  voice 
came  in  a  gasping  whisper  through  the  hole  in  the  rock :  — 

“  Farewell,  Umslopogaas,  my  husband  and  my  brother,  I 
thank  you  for  your  love,  Umslopogaas.  Ah  !  I  die  !  ” 

Umslopogaas  could  make  no  answer,  only  he  watched 
the  little  hand  he  held.  Twice  it  opened,  twice  it  closed 
upon  his  own,  then  it  opened  for  the  third  time,  turned 
grey,  quivered,  and  was  still  forever ! 

Now  it  was  at  the  hour  of  dawn  that  Nada  died. 


288 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE  VENGEANCE  OF  MOPO  AND  HIS  FOSTERLING. 

It  chanced  that  on  this  day  of  Nada’s  death  and  at  that 
same  hour  of  dawn  I,  Mopo,  came  from  my  mission  back  to 
the  kraal  of  the  People  of  the  Axe,  having  succeeded  in  my 
end,  for  that  great  chief  whom  I  had  gone  out  to  visit  had 
hearkened  to  my  words.  As  the  light  broke  I  reached  the 
town,  and  lo  !  it  was  a  blackness  and  a  desolation. 

“  Here  is  the  footmark  of  Dingaan,”  I  said  to  myself,  and 
walked  to  and  fro,  groaning  heavily.  Presently  I  found  a 
knot  of  men  who  were  of  the  people  that  had  escaped  the 
slaughter,  hiding  in  the  mealie-fields  lest  the  Slayers  should 
return,  and  from  them  I  drew  all  the  story.  I  listened  in 
silence,  for,  my  father,  I  was  grown  old  in  misfortune ;  then 
I  asked  where  were  the  Slayers  of  the  king  ?  They  replied 
that  they  did  not  know ;  the  soldiers  had  gone  up  the  Ghost 
Mountain  after  the  Wolf-Brethren  and  Xada  the  Lily,  and 
from  the  forest  had  come  a  howling  of  beasts  and  sounds  of 
war;  then  there  was  silence,  and  none  had  been  seen  to 
return  from  the  mountain,  only  all  day  long  the  vultures 
hung  over  it. 

“  Let  us  go  up  the  mountain,”  I  said. 

At  first  they  feared,  because  of  the  evil  name  of  the 
place ;  but  in  the  end  they  came  with  me,  and  we  followed 
on  the  path  of  the  impi  of  the  Slayers  and  guessed  all  that 
had  befallen  it.  At  length  we  reached  the  knees  of  stone, 
and  saw  the  place  of  the  great  fight  of  the  Wolf-Brethren. 
All  those  who  had  taken  part  in  that  fight  were  now  but 
bones,  because  the  vultures  had  picked  them  every  one, 
except  Galazi,  for  on  the  breast  of  Galazi  lay  the  old  wolf 
Deathgrip,  that  was  yet  alive.  I  drew  near  the  body,  and 
the  great  wolf  struggled  to  his  feet  and  ran  at  me  with 
bristling  hair  and  open  jaws,  from  which  no  sound  came. 
Then,  being  spent,  he  rolled  over  dead. 

Xow  I  looked  round  seeking  the  axe  Groan-Maker  among 


VENGEANCE  OF  MOPO  AND  HIS  FOSTERLING  289 


the  bones  of  the  slain,  and  did  not  find  it,  and  the  hope 
came  into  my  heart  that  Umslopogaas  had  escaped  the 
slaughter.  Then  we  went  on  in  silence  to  where  I  knew 
the  cave  must  be,  and  there  by  its  mouth  lay  the  body  of  a 
man.  I  ran  to  it — it  was  Umslopogaas,  wasted  with  hun¬ 
ger,  and  in  his  temple  was  a  great  wound  and  on  his  breast 
and  limbs  were  many  other  wounds.  Moreover,  in  his  hand 
he  held  another  hand — a  dead  hand,  that  was  thrust  through 
a  hole  in  the  rock.  I  knew  its  shape  well — it  was  the  little 
hand  of  my  child,  Nada  the  Lily. 

Now  I  understood,  and,  bending  down,  I  felt  the  heart  of 
Umslopogaas,  and  laid  the  down  of  an  eagle  on  his  lips. 
His  heart  still  stirred  and  the  down  was  lifted  gently. 

I  bade  those  with  me  drag  aside  the  stone,  and  they  did 
so  with  toil.  Now  the  light  flowed  into  the  cave,  and  by  it 
we  saw  the  shape  of  Nada  my  daughter.  She  was  some¬ 
what  wasted,  but  still  very  beautiful  in  her  death.  I  felt 
her  heart  also :  it  was  still,  and  her  breast  grew  cold. 

Then  I  spoke :  “  The  dead  to  the  dead.  Let  us  tend  the 
living.” 

So  we  bore  in  Umslopogaas,  and  I  caused  broth  to  be 
made  and  poured  it  down  his  throat ;  also  I  cleansed  his 
great  wound  and  bound  healing  herbs  upon  it,  plying  all 
my  skill.  Well  I  knew  the  arts  of  healing,  my  father;  I 
who  was  the  first  of  the  izinyanga  of  medicine,  and,  had  it 
not  been  for  my  craft,  Umslopogaas  had  never  lived,  for  he 
was  very  near  his  end.  Still,  there  where  once  he  had  been 
nursed  by  Galazi  the  Wolf,  I  brought  him  back  to  life.  It 
was  three  days  till  he  spoke,  and,  before  his  sense  returned 
to  him,  I  caused  a  great  hole  to  be  dug  in  the  floor  of  the 
cave.  And  there,  in  the  hole,  I  buried  Nada  my  daughter, 
and  we  heaped  lily  blooms  upon  her  to  keep  the  earth  from 
her,  and  then  closed  in  her  grave,  for  I  was  not  minded  that 
Umslopogaas  should  look  upon  her  dead,  lest  he  also  should 
die  from  the  sight,  and  because  of  his  desire  to  follow  her. 
Also  I  buried  Galazi  the  Wolf  in  the  cave,  and  set  the 
Watcher  in  his  hand,  and  there  they  both  sleep  who  are 
friends  at  last,  the  Lily  and  the  Wolf  together.  Ah!  when 
shall  there  be  such  another  man  and  such  another  maid  ? 


u 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


290 

At  length  on  the  third  day  Umslopogaas  spoke,  asking 
for  Nada.  I  pointed  to  the  earth,  and  he  remembered  and 
understood,  f  hereafter  the  strength  of  Umslopogaas  gath¬ 
ered  on  him  slowly,  and  the  hole  in  his  skull  skinned  over. 
But  now  his  hair  was  grizzled,  and  he  scarcely  smiled  again, 

but  grew  even  more  grim  and  stern  than  he  had  been 
before. 

Soon  we  learned  all  the  truth  about  Zinita,  for  the  women 
and  children  came  back  to  the  town  of  the  People  of  the 
Axe,  only  Zinita  and  the  children  of  Umslopogaas  did  net 
come  back.  Also  a  spy  reached  me  from  the  Mahlabatine 
and  told  me  of  the  end  of  Zinita  and  of  the  flight  of  Dingaan 
before  the  Boers. 

Now  when  Umslopogaas  had  recovered,  I  asked  him  what 
he  would  do,  and  whether  or  not  I  should  pursue  my  plots 
to  make  him  king  of  the  land. 

But  Umslopogaas  shook  his  head,  saying  that  he  had  no 
heart  that  way.  He  would  destroy  a  king  indeed,  but  now 
he  no  longer  desired  to  be  a  king.  He  sought  revenge  alone. 
I  said  that  it  was  well,  I  also  sought  vengeance,  and  seeking 
together  we  would  find  it. 

Now,  my  father,  there  is  much  more  to  tell,  but  shall  I 
tell  it  ?  The  snow  has  melted,  your  cattle  have  been  found 
where  I  told  you  they  should  be,  and  you  wish  to  be  gone. 
And  I  also,  I  would  be  gone  upon  a  longer  journey. 

Listen,  my  father,  I  will  be  short.  This  came  into  my 
mind :  to  play  off  Panda  against  Dingaan ;  it  was  for  such 
an  hour  of  need  that  I  had  saved  Panda  alive.  After  the 
battle  of  the  Blood  Biver,  Dingaan  summoned  Panda  to  a 
hunt.  Then  it  was  that  I  journeyed  to  the  kraal  of  Panda 
on  the  Lower  Tugela,  and  with  me  Umslopogaas.  I  warned 
Panda  that  he  should  not  go  to  this  hunt,  for  he  was  the 
game  himself,  but  that  he  should  rather  fly  into  Natal  with 
all  his  people.  He  did  so,  and  then  I  opened  talk  with  the 
Boers,  and  more  especially  with  that  Boer  who  was  named 
Ungalunkulu,  or  Great  Arm.  I  showed  the  Boer  that  Din¬ 
gaan  was  wicked  and  not  to  be  believed,  but  Panda  was 
faithful  and  good.  The  end  of  it  was  that  the  Boers  and 


VENGEANCE  OF  MOPO  AND  HIS  FOSTERLING  291 


Panda  made  war  together  on  Dingaan.  Yes,  I  made  that 
war  that  we  might  be  revenged  on  Dingaan.  Thus,  my 
father,  do  little  things  lead  to  great. 

Were  we  at  the  big  fight,  the  battle  of  Magongo  ?  Yes, 
my  father ;  we  were  there.  When  Dingaan’s  people  drove 
us  back,  and  all  seemed  lost,  it  was  I  who  put  into  the  mind 
of  Nongalaza,  the  general,  to  pretend  to  direct  the  Boers 
where  to  attack,  for  the  Amaboona  stood  out  of  that  fight, 
leaving  it  to  us  black  people.  It  was  Umslopogaas  who 
cut  his  way  with  Groan-Maker  through  a  wing  of  one  of 
Dingaan’ s  regiments  till  he  came  to  the  Boer  captain  Unga- 
lnnkulu,  and  shouted  to  him  to  turn  the  flank  of  Dingaan. 
That  finished  it,  my  father,  for  they  feared  to  stand  against 
us  both,  the  white  and  the  black  together.  They  fled,  and 
we  followed  and  slew,  and  Dingaan  ceased  to  be  a  king. 

He  ceased  to  be  a  king,  but  he  still  lived,  and  while  he 
lived  our  vengeance  was  hungry.  So  we  went  to  the  Boer 
captain  and  to  Panda,  and  spoke  to  them  nicely,  saying, 
“  We  have  served  you  well,  we  have  fought  for  you,  and  so 
ordered  things  that  victory  is  yours.  Now  grant  us  this 
request,  that  we  may  follow  Dingaan,  who  has  fled  into 
hiding,  and  kill  him  wherever  we  find  him,  for  he  has 
worked  us  wrong,  and  we  would  avenge  it.” 

Then  the  white  captain  and  Panda  smiled  and  said,  u  Go, 
children,  and  prosper  in  your  search.  No  one  thing  shall 
please  us  more  chan  to  know  that  Dingaan  is  dead.”  And 
they  gave  us  men  to  go  with  us. 

Then  we  hunted  that  king  week  by  week  as  men  hunt  a 
wounded  buffalo.  We  hunted  him  to  the  jungles  of  the 
Umfalozi  and  through  them.  But  he  fled  ever,  for  he  knew 
that  the  avengers  of  blood  were  on  his  spoor.  After  that 
for  awhile  we  lost  him.  Then  we  heard  that  he  had  crossed 
the  Pongolo  with  some  of  the  people  who  still  clung  to 
him.  We  followed  him  to  the  place  Kwa  Myawo,  and 
there  we  lay  hid  in  the  bush  watching.  At  last  our  chance 
came.  Dingaan  walked  in  the  bush  and  with  him  two 
men  only.  We  stabbed  the  men  and  seized  him. 

Dingaan  looked  at  us  and  knew  us,  and  his  knees  trembled 
with  fear.  Then  I  spoke  :  — 


u  2 


292 


NAD  A  THE  LILY 


“  What  was  that  message  which  I  sent  thee,  0  Dingaan, 
who  art  no  more  a  king — that  thou  didst  ill  to  drive  me 
away,  was  it  not  ?  because  I  set  thee  on  thy  throne  and 
I  alone  could  hold  thee  there  ?  ” 

He  made  no  answer,  and  I  went  on :  — 

“I,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedama,  set  thee  on  thy  throne, 
0  Dingaan,  who  wast  a  king,  and  I,  Mopo,  have  pulled  thee 
down  from  thy  throne.  But  my  message  did  not  end  there. 
It  said  that,  ill  as  thou  hadst  done  to  drive  me  away,  yet 
worse  shouldst  thou  do  to  look  upon  my  face  again,  for  that 
day  should  be  thy  day  of  doom.” 

Still  he  made  no  answer.  Then  Umslopogaas  spoke  :  — 

“I  am  that  Slaughterer,  0  Dingaan,  no  more  a  king, 
whom  thou  didst  send  Slayers  many  and  fierce  to  eat  up 
at  the  kraal  of  the  People  of  the  Axe.  Where  are  thy 
Slayers  now,  0  Dingaan  ?  Before  all  is  done  thou  shalt 
look  upon  them.” 

“Kill  me  and  make  an  end;  it  is  your  hour,”  said 
Dingaan. 

“Not  yet  awhile,  0  son  of  Senzangacona,”  answered 
Umslopogaas,  “and  not  here.  There  lived  a  certain  woman 
and  she  was  named  Nada  the  Lily.  I  was  her  husband, 
0  Dingaan,  and  Mopo  here,  he  was  her  father.  But,  alas ! 
she  died,  and  sadly — she  lingered  three  days  and  nights 
before  she  died.  Thou  shalt  see  the  spot  and  hear  the  tale, 
O  Dingaan.  It  will  wring  thy  heart,  which  was  ever  ten¬ 
der.  There  lived  certain  children,  born  of  another  woman 
named  Zinita,  little  children,  sweet  and  loving.  I  was 
their  father,  0  Elephant  in  a  pit,  and  one  Dingaan  slew 
them.  Of  them  thou  shalt  hear  also.  Now  away,  for  the 
path  is  far  !  ” 

Two  days  went  by,  my  father,  and  Dingaan  sat  bound 
and  alone  in  the  cave  on  Ghost  Mountain.  We  had  dragged 
him  slowly  up  the  mountain,  for  he  was  heavy  as  an  ox. 
Three  men  pushing  at  him  and  three  others  pulling  at  a 
cord  about  his  middle,  we  dragged  him  up,  staying  now 
and  again  to  show  him  the  bones  of  those  whom  he  had 
sent  out  to  kill  us,  and  telling  him  the  tale  of  that  fight. 


. 


‘  That  was  the  end  of  Dingaan,  my  father.’ 


VENGEANCE  OF  MOPO  AND  HIS  FOSTERLING  293 

Now  at  iength  we  were  in  the  cave,  and  I  sent  away 
those  who  were  with  us,  for  we  wished  to  be  alone  with 
Dingaan  at  the  last.  He  sat  down  on  the  floor  of  the  cave, 
and  I  told  him  that  beneath  the  earth  on  which  he  sat  lay 
the  bones  of  that  Nada  whom  he  had  murdered  and  the 
bones  of  Galazi  the  Wolf. 

Then  we  rolled  the  stone  down  the  mouth  of  the  cave 
and  left  him  with  the  ghost  of  Galazi  and  the  ghost  of 
Nada. 

On  the  third  day  before  the  dawn  we  came  again  and 
looked  on  him. 

“  Slay  me,”  he  said,  “  for  the  Ghosts  torment  me  !  ” 

“No  longer  art  thou  great,  0  shadow  of  a  king,”  I  said, 
“who  now  dost  tremble  before  two  Ghosts  out  of  all  the 
thousands  that  thou  hast  made.  Say,  then,  how  shall  it 
fare  with  thee  presently  when  thou  art  of  their  number  ?  ” 

Now  Dingaan  prayed  for  mercy. 

“Mercy,  thou  hyaena!”  I  answered,  “thou  prayest  for 
mercy  who  showed  none  to  any  !  Give  me  back  my  daughter. 
Give  this  man  back  his  wife  and  children;  then  we  will 
talk  of  mercy.  Come  forth,  coward,  and  die  the  death  of 
cowards.” 

So,  my  father,  we  dragged  him  out,  groaning,  to  the  cleft 
that  is  above  in  the  breast  of  the  old  Stone  Witch,  that  same 
cleft  where  Galazi  had  found  the  bones.  There  we  stood, 
waiting  for  the  moment  of  the  dawn,  that  hour  when  Nada 
had  died.  Then  we  cried  her  name  into  his  ears  and  the 
names  of  the  children  of  Umslopogaas,  and  cast  him  into 
the  cleft. 

This  was  the  end  of  Dingaan,  my  father — Dingaan,  who 
had  the  fierce  heart  of  Chaka  without  its  greatness. 


294 


NADA  THE  LILY 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

MOPO  ENDS  HIS  TALE. 

That  is  the  tale  of  Nada  the  Lily,  my  father,  and  of  how 
we  avenged  her.  A  sad  tale — yes,  a  sad  tale ;  but  all  was 
sad  in  those  days.  It  was  otherwise  afterwards,  when 
Panda  reigned,  for  Panda  was  a  man  of  peace. 

There  is  little  more  to  tell.  I  left  the  land  where  I  could 
stay  no  longer  who  had  brought  about  the  deaths  of  two 
kings,  and  came  here  to  Natal  to  live  near  where  the  kraal 
Huguza  once  had  stood. 

The  bones  of  Dingaan  as  they  lay  in  the  cleft  were 
the  last  things  my  eyes  beheld,  for  after  that  I  became 
blind,  and  saw  the  sun  no  more,  nor  any  light — why  I  do 
not  know,  perhaps  from  too  much  weeping,  my  father.  So 
I  changed  my  name,  lest  a  spear  might  reach  the  heart 
that  had  planned  the  death  of  two  kings  and  a  prince 
— Chaka,  Dingaan,  and  Umhlangana  of  the  blood  royal. 
Silently  and  by  night  Umslopogaas,  my  fosterling,  led  me 
across  the  border,  and  brought  me  here  to  Stanger;  and 
here  as  an  old  witch-doctor  I  have  lived  for  many,  many 
years.  I  am  rich.  Umslopogaas  craved  back  from  Pandi 
the  cattle  of  which  Dingaan  had  robbed  me,  and  drove  them 
hither.  But  none  were  here  who  had  lived  in  the  kraal 
Duguza,  none  knew,  in  Zweete  the  blind  old  witch-doctor, 
that  Mopo  who  stabbed  Chaka,  the  Lion  of  the  Zulu.  None 
know  it  now.  You  have  heard  the  tale,  and  you  alone,  my 
father.  Do  not  tell  it  again  till  I  am  dead. 

Umslopogaas  ?  Yes,  he  went  back  to  the  People  of  the 
Axe  and  ruled  them,  but  they  were  never  so  strong  again 
as  they  had  been  before  they  smote  the  Halakazi  in  their 
caves,  and  Dingaan  ate  them  up.  Panda  let  him  be  and 
liked  him  well,  for  Panda  did  not  know  that  the  Slaughterer 
was  son  to  Chaka  his  brother,  and  Umslopogaas  let  that  dog 
lie,  for  when  Nada  died  he  lost  his  desire  to  be  great.  Yet 


MOPO  ENDS  HIS  TALE  295 

he  became  captain  of  the  Nkomabakosi  regiment,  and  fought 
in  many  battles,  doing  mighty  deeds,  and  stood  by  Umbulazi, 
son  of  Panda,  in  the  great  fray  on  the  Tugela,  when  Cety- 
wayo  slew  his  brother  Umbulazi. 

After  that  also  he  plotted  against  Cetywayo,  whom  he 
hated,  and  had  it  not  been  for  a  certain  white  man,  a  hunter 
named  Macumazahn,  Umslopogaas  would  have  been  killed. 
But  the  white  man  saved  him  by  his  wit.  Yes,  and  at 
times  he  came  to  visit  me,  for  he  still  loved  me  as  of  old ; 
but  now  he  has  fled  north,  and  I  shall  hear  his  voice  no 
more.  Nay,  I  do  not  know  all  the  tale ;  there  was  a  woman 
in  it.  Women  were  ever  the  bane  of  Umslopogaas,  my'fos- 
terling.  I  forget  the  story  of  that  woman,  for  I  remember 
only  these  things  that  happened  long  ago,  before  I  grew 
very  old. 

Look  on  this  right  hand  of  mine,  my  father !  I  cannot 
see  it  now ;  and  yet  I,  Mopo,  son  of  Makedaina,  seem  to  see 
it  as  once  I  saw,  red  with  the  blood  of  two  kings.  Look 
on — 

Suddenly  the  aged  man  ceased,  his  head  fell  forward  upon 
his  withered  breast.  When  the  White  Man  to  whom  he 
told  this  story  lifted  it  and  looked  at  him,  he  was  dead  I 


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